The Tulsa star. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1913-1921, 1915-02-06
BRYAN DECLARES
POSITION Of US.
REAFFIRMs STRICT NEUTRALITY
TO ALL POWERS CON-
CERNED IN THE WAR.
PURCHASE OF MUNITIONS OF WAR
Cannot Be Stopped and Administra.
ton Declares II Is Not Our Fault
II the Allies Are the Only
Buyers At Our Market.

Washington. - Answering nineteen
separate and specific charges, calling
attention to the fact that the United
States government has promptly taken
to task Great Britain, France and
other allied powers. and declaring
that every possible effort was being
put forth to protect these rights and
maintain the strict neutrality of the
United States to the European nations
at war the United States government
has Issued a lengthy defense of its IL
terpretations of the rights and duties
of neutral.
A document 5000 words long, pre-
pared by President Wilson, Secretary
Bryan and Counsellor Robert Lansing
OF the state department, after several
days of consultation, was made public
In the form of letter from the sec.
retary of state to Senator Stone of
Missouri, chairman of the senate com.
mittee on foreign relations.
While the letter Is a reply to an in
quiry from Senator Stone for infor-
nation as a result of complaints made
In the press and in letters from vari-
GUS parts of the country, charging the
Washington government with unfair
ness to Germany and Austria, it also
is Intended as pronouncement OF pol
Icy on some questions OF neutrality
previously unexplained.
Concerning War Munitions
After answering nineteen separate
and specific charges and calling at
tention to the fact that the United
States has promptly taken to task
Great Britain as well as Germany and
every government which in any way
has infrlnged upon the rights OF this
country. the letter concludes with the
following declaration on the much dis
cussed question of expectation OF war
munitions:
"If any American citizens, partisans
Of Germany and Austria-Hungary feel
that this administration is acting in a
way injurious to the cause of those
countries this feeling results from the
fact that on the high seas the. German
and Austro-Hungarian naval power is
thus far inferior TO the British. II is
the business Of belligerent operating
on the high seas, not the duty OF a
neutral, TO prevent contraband from
reaching an enemy. Those in this
country who sympathize with Ger.
many and Austria-Hungary appear to
assume that some obligation rests
upon this government in the perform
nnce of its neutral duty, to prevent
all trade in contraband and thus equal
i2e the difference due to the relative
naval strength of the belligerents. No
such obligation exists; It would be an
unneutral act, an act of partiality on
the part of this government to adopt
such policy IL the executive had
the power to do so.
"If Germany and Austria-Hungary
can not import contraband from this
country 1t is not because of this fact,
the duty of the United States to close
It's markets to the allies. The mar
tets of this country are open upon
equal terms to all the world. to every
nation, belligerent or neutral"
During the course OF the letters dis.
,ussion of the serious charges made,
The following facts hitherto undis.
,losed were revealed for the first
/ lime:
That the Canadian government re.
sently asked the United States for
permission to ship "war equipment"
across Alaska to the sea and the re-
quest was refused.
Protest to Allies.
That the United States has brought
to the attention of an Offending gov
ernment" the searching of an Amer
lean vessel for German-Austrian sub
ects, with a declaration that such
procedure, If true, is an unwarranted
exercise Of jurisdiction over American
iessels in which this government will
not acquiesce."
The government TO whom this de-
plaration has been made was not
stated in the letter, but the incident
known to relate to the search by
boarding crew from French cruiser
d an American ship plying between
two ports in Colombia, when II is al.
eged some German passengers were
lorced TO sign a promise not to par.
ucipate in the war IL was this occur