New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1915-03-11

basis that the first round trips re-
turn would pay the total purchase
price of the boat within about twenty
per cent.
When citizen of the United States,
who is in a financial position to do
so. engages in mercantile venture
of this kind, that his property be
seized and he be compelled to re-
sort to foreign tribunal to recover
it, and this government looks su-
pinely on, and failed to protect its
citizens
The British government made it
known before the Dacia sailed, that
it would ignore the law and seize the
vessel With such a pre-determina-
ton made known, it was the duty OF
the United States government to
guard against it. The warships or
a nation, and all vessels conveyed by
them, are at all times free from the
annoyance of search and seizure. One
of the strongest armed of our war
ships should have been detailed TO
convoy the Dacia to her European
destination. with orders to defend
the ship at all hazards against Its
seizure by any other power, whether
British French, Russian or Japanese,
and it would surely reach Rotterdam
untouched by any of them. If such
protection is afforded to our merchant
marine the idle German vessels now
on this side of the ocean, and those
in German ports, can readily find pur-
chasers who are willing to emulate
the example of Mr. Breitung, and Sc
cure a share of the largo profits
which are awaiting the venturesome-
ness which he has displayed. Our
warships should be ordered to engage
in protective work of this character,
where it is so badly needed at the
present time, instead of idly moving
along our shores, and resting in our
harbors, wasting their supplies and
money in an effort to furnish the
mon with some employment, and
practically the only duty of the Off
GERS being to accept invitations to
dances, where the fox trots, maXixe
and other terpsichorean feats, are
nightly INDUCED in.
An unexpected turn however, has
been given to the situation by the
capture Of the Dacia by a French
war vessel, and not a British ship.
All the objections prior to the sailing
of the Dacia were made to the Brit
ish government. Not a word was
heard from any other power. On ac-
| count of the attitude of the French
| in relation to the sale of vessels af-
! ter the outbreak of war being
! contrary to that of Great Britain, the
advisers of his Most Gracious Majes-
/ ty George V. evidently concluded that
the announced position of the seizure
! OF all former German vessels could
not be maintained in court, they con-
cluded the better way to get out of
| an untenable position would be TO
have the Dacia captured by French
| vessel, taken to a French port, and
| before a French court for adjudica-
| ton. A cunningly devised scheme to
! avoid judicial determination by the
/ British courts that the attitude of the
| government was illegal.
France by its prize regulations has
! always enacted that no vessel of en-
/ emy's construction, or which has been
! at any time of encmy's ownership
| should be rephted neutral, without
! proof that the sale or session to the
neutral was made before the COM
mencement of hostilties
Russia one of the present allies of
! Great Britain and France on the
| other hand. at all times just in her
/ appreciation of neutral rights has
held that a ship of belligerent con-
struction, when it has become the
property bona -fide of neutral, though
! purchased by him after the com
mencement of war, is not subject to
! mclestation.
The supreme court of the United
| States recognized the right of any of
! the belligerents to make sale of ships
| during the war and in the course Of
| its opinion adopted a quotation from
! an English writer on international
! law. After stating the law Of France
as mentioned above, the quotation con-
tinues: I'm England and in the United
| states, on the contrary, the right
to purchase vessels is in principle,
! they being in themselves legitimate OBJ
jeets of trade. as fully as any other
kind of merchandise but the oppor-
| tUnities of fraud being great, the cir
cumstances attending a sale are sew
erely scrutinized, and the transfer is
not held to be good if it is subject
to any condition, or even tacid un-
Outstanding by which the vendor
Keeps an interest in the vessel
CT its profits, a control over it,
power of revocation, or a right to its
restoration at the conclusion of the
war"
If the Dacia is condemned by the
French courts as appraised, what will
the United States government do, per-
nit its citizens to be deprived of their
property by an attempt at a shifting
of responsibility from one allied pow
or to another. or will it insist that
international law in the form in which
it has always been administered in Its
own courts, and by which its citizens
| make their contracts in the purchase
OF vessels from governments at law
with each other shall be applied