Evening star., 1915-04-06
i. s. PROTEST DECLARES
ENGLAND DENIES NATIONS
RIGHTS OF SOVEREIGNTY

| the well recognized and reasonable
prohibition of interna tiona1 law against
the blockading of neutral ports by
according free admission and exit to
all outward bound traffic from the neu-
| through the blockading Gordon.
This traffic would, of course. include
all outwardbound traffic from the neu.
| tral country and All inward pound
| cept contraband in transit to the enc
my Such procedure need not conflict
| IN any respect with the rights OF the
belligerent maintaining the blockade.
since the right would remain with the
blockading vessels to visit and search
| all ships either entering or leaving the
neutral territory which they were in
fact. but not of right, investing
No Reason for Unlawful Action.
notes that In the order in council his
majesty's government give their
| reason for entering upon a course of
action. which they are aware is with
out precedent in modern warfare, the
necessity they conceive themselves to
nave been placed under to retaliate
upon their enemies for measures Of a
simllar nature, which the latter have
announced ann It their intention to adopt
L
adopted: but the government of the
United States, recalling the principles
upon which his majestys government
| nave hitherto been scrupulous to act,
| lnterpretS this as merely reason for
| certain extraordinary activities on the
part OF his majesty's naval forces, and
| not as an excuse for or prelude to any
! unlawful action
IF the course pursued nv tho nresent
| enemies or Great Britain should prove
| 70 ee IN fact tainted by illegality and
| disregard of the principles of war sane
sioieu py enlightened nations. it cannot
| oe supposed, and this government does
| not Tor a moment suppose. that his
| ma1estys government would wish the
same taint to attach to their own ac-
lions OF would cite such illegal acts
Ior similar practices on their part in so
FAR as they affect neutral rights.
~ Is thus that the government of the
| united States interprets the language
u .ne note or his majestys principal
secretary of state for foreign affairs,
| which accompanies the copy of the
| order In council, which was handed to
| the ambassador of the United States
| near near the government in London and by
MIN transmitted to Washington.
Gratifled at Court Order.
This government notes with graft
! ncation that wide discretion is afford
| ed to the prize court in dealing with
the trade of neutrals in such manner
as may in the circumstances be deem
ed just and that full provision is made
to facilitate claims by persons inter
ested In any goods placed in the cus-
tooy OF the marshal of the prize court
unaer the order: that the effect of the
oroer IN council Is to confer certain
powers upon the executive officers of
ms maJesty's government: and that
tne extent to which these powers will
De actually exercised and the degree
Q. severity with which the measures
on.;a ~ p.oGaaoe authorized will be put into
opelation are matters which will de-
pend on the administrative orders is
sueo py the government and the de-
cislons OF the authorities especially
senarged with the duty of dealing with
individual ships and cargoes according
| 70 the merits of each case
| rms government further notes with
equa! Satisfaction the declaration of
tne brltlsh government that the in
structions to be issued by his maiestv,s
| government to the fleet and to the Gus.
toms officfals and executive commit
tees concerned, will impress upon them
the duty of acting with the utmost dis
patch consistent with the object in
view ana OF showing in every case
such consideration for neutrals as NAV
be compatible with that subject which
is, succinctly stated. to establish a
blockade to prevent vessels from carry
ing goods for or coming from Ger
many
In view of these assurances formally
given to this government, it is conf
IDENTIFY expected that the extensive now
ers conferred by the order in council
| on the executive officers Of the crown
VIII be restricted by orders issued by
the government directing the exercise
OF their discretionary powers in such a
manner as to modify in practical ap-
plication those provisions Of the order
in council which, IL strictly enforced,
would violate neutral rights and inter-
rupt legitimate trade.
Expects No Interference With Ships.
Relying on the faithful performance
of these voluntary assurances by his
majesty's government. the United
| States takes it for granted that the ap-
proach of American merchantmen to
neutral ports situated upon the long
| line of coast affected by the order in
council will not be interfered with
when it is known that they do not
| carry goods which are contraband of
war. or goods destined to or proceeding
from ports within the belligerent terri
| tory affected.
The government Of the United States
assumes with the greatest confidence
that his majesty's government will
| thus adjust their practice to the recog-
nized rules Of international law, be-
cause it is manifest that the British
| government have adopted an extraordi-
nary method Of stopping cargoes des-
tined for or coming from the enemy's
! territory, which, owing to the exist
ence of unusual conditions in modern
warfare at sea, 1t will be difficult to
restrict to the limits which have been
heretofore required by the law of ma
| tons
| Though the area Of operations is
i confined to European waters including z
the Mediterranean. so great an area
| of the high seas is covered and the
| Gordon of ships is so distant from the
| territory affected that neutral vessels
| must necessarily pass through the
! blockading force in order to reach i'm
| portant neutral ports which Great
| Britain as a belligerent has not the
! legal right to blockade and which,
| therefore, it is presumed she has no
| intention of claiming to blockade.
| The Scandinavian and Spanish ports.
| for example, are open to American
! trade. They are also free, so far as
| the actual enforcement of the order in
! council Is concerned. to carry on trade
| with German Baltic ports. although it
| is an essential element of blockade that