Norwich bulletin., 1915-02-20


 London. Feb. 19. 1.I5 D. m.-The Brit ish government announced today that it had decided that the cargo of the American steamer Wilhelnlina, should be held for the decision of the prize court.
 Edward Grey. the British foreign sec retary. It seems to make clear the purpose of Great Britain to declare all foodstuffs for Germany contra,band. as well as to foreshadow other re- prisaLs-
 In his note Sir Edward Grey. after reviewing the German methoos Of war fare and denouncing them as a:oso- lute violations of all international usages, says:
 Actions Should Not Be Challenged.
 If therefore, His Majesty's gov ernInent should hereafter feel con strained to declare foodstuffs absolute contraband, or to take other measures for interfering with German trade by way of reprisals, they confidently ex-
 pect that such action will not be chal- lenged on the part of the neutral states, by appeals to laws and usages
 of war whose validity rests on their
 forcing an intergral part of that sys-
 tenn of international doctrine which as 9 whole, their enemy frankly boasts
 the contention to disregard. so long
 as such neutral states cannot compel
 the German government to abandon
 methods of warfare which have not in recent history been regarded as having
 the sanction of either law or human ity."
 Great Britain's reply to the Aneri- can note on the Wilhelmina case, which was handed today to Walter Hines Page the American arnbassador, fol- lows:
 ''TThe communication made by the ! United States ambassador in his note
 to Sir Edward Grey, of the 1Gth in stant, has been carefully considered and the following observations are of fered in reply:
 Cargo Seized as Contraband. At the time when His Majesty g government gave directions for the seizure of the cargo Of the steamship Wilhelmina as contraband. they had ! before them the text of & decree made by the German federal council on the 25th of January, under article 45, of which all grain and flour imported into Germany after the 31st of January was declared deliverable only to certain or ganlzatIons under direct government control or to municipal authorities 1 The vessel was bound for Hamburg, one of the free cities of the German empire the government of which is vested in the municipality. This was one of the reasons actuating His Ma l Jesty's government in decidink to bring l the cargo of the Wilheimina before a prize court
 Prize Court Will investigate. Information has only now reached them that by a subsequent decree dated the 9th of February. the above provision in article 45 of the previous l decree was repealed, it would appear i for the express purpose of rendering difficult the anticipated proceedings ! ? zDaInST inc NJIHeTr0iT71 1a was not known to His Majesty's gov ernment at the time of the detention ! of the cargo, or indeed until now. How | far the oStensi0le exemption of i'm ported supplies from the general gov 1 eFnment monopoly of all grain and | four set up by the German govern i meut may affect the question of the [ contraband nature of the shipments ! seized, is a, matter which will most suitably be investigated by the prize 1 court
 ] Cites Seizures by Germans. i Tt is, however. necessary to state i that the German decree is not the only ! ground on which the submission oi ! the cargo of the WiIhelmina to the 1 prize court is justified. The German l government have in public announce | nfents claimed to treat practically ! every town or port on the English east | coast as @ fortified place and base o1 l operations. On the strength of this | contention they have subjected to bom- ! bardment the open towns of Yarmouth ] Scarborough and Whitby among 1 others. On the same ground. a num- 1 Der of neutral vessels sailing for Eng
 lish ports on the east coast. with car 1 goes of goods on the German list o1 1 conditional contraband have beer | seized by German cruisers and brought l before q German prize court.
 ! Again the Dutch vessel Maria, hay ! ing sailed from C1TiTnFT17a ( 1 cargo of grain cosigned to Dublin anC l Belfast, was sunk in September las l by the German cruiser Karlsruhe This could only have been Justified i among other things, the cargo could 1 have been proved to be destined fo,
 the British government or for armed
 forces, and if a presumption to thii l effect had been established owing t, Dublin or Belfast considered fortified places or bases for armed forces.
 Germans Cannot Have 1t Both Ways
 The German government canno have it both ways. If they conside themselves justified in destroying b, bombardment the lives and propert, of the peaceful civil inhabitants o English open towns and Waterini places, and in seizing and sinking ship and cargoes of conditional contraban, on their way thither, on the groun, that they are consigned to a, fortifie' pAdCS UT Dd-sS, st lOENlOEl- Ills Asl3tSSLy government must be at liberty | treat Hamburg, which is a port pro tected by Notifications at the mOutl of the Elbe, as a fortified town am
 base of operations and supply for tn purpose of article 34 of the Declara ton of London.
 Owners Opportunity in Prize Court.
 "If the owners of the cargo of tn
 WilheImina desire to question the sNal