The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson, S.C.) 1914-1917, 1915-02-23
CARGO OF WILHELMINA WILL
BE HELD TO A PRIZE COURT

and His MaJcsiys government would
in this connection recall the allen
ton OF the United States to .hc CON
Sit"TatiUns put forward i'm Sir i;d-
ward Grey's note to Mr.. Page of the
icth instant. rs TO the property Of
awaiting the result Of the prize court
proceedings before diplomatic action
IL initiated. IL will be- remembered
thlt they have from the outset given
definite assurances that the owners OF
| the Wilhclmina as we'll a3 the owners
OF her cargo. II found TO be contra
band. would be rquitabiy indcnniHc'l.
There IS one further observation
to which Ills Majcsty's government
thinks II right and appropriate in the
present connection to give expression
They have not so far declared food
i stnils To be absolute c0ntraband: they
have not in,erferrcd with any neutral
vessels nn account or their carrying
f0odstuffs except on lia3is Of such
foodstulfs being liable to capture il
destined for enemy forces 3f govern
Incnts. In SO acting they have bccn
guided by the general principle of late
universally upheld by civilized nations
and observed In practice that the civil
populations Of countries nj war are
ly reserved for combutants This
distinction has to all intcnts and pur-
poses been swept away by the novel
doctrines proclaimed and acted upon
by the German government
III Is unnecessary here to dwell on
the treatment that has been mc;cd out
TO the civil population OF Belgium and
to those parts OF France which are ih
German occupation. When Germany.
long before any mines had been laid
by the British authorities. proceeded
to SOW mines upon the high seas and
by this means sunk Il considerable
number not only OF British, but also
neutral merchantmen with their un-
offending crews. II was, SO His Ma
jcsty's government held. open to them
To take retaliatory measures even II
such measures were of kind TO i'll
volvc pressure on the civil population.
not. indeed. OF neutral States but OF
their enemies. They refrained from
doing 80. When subsequently Eng
lish towns and defcniGless British
subjects. including women and chill
dren. were deliberately and systemeti-
cally fired upon and killed by ships,
flying the flag OF the imperial Gcrman n
navy; when quiet country towns and !
villages, void Of defcnses and possess
sing no military or naval Importance,
were bombardcd by German airships,
His Majcsty's government still nb-
stained from drawing the logical !
consequences from this form of at |
tack on defenseless citizens.
Further steps In the same direction !
are now announced and in fact al !
ready have been tnken by Germany. |
British merchant vessels have been |
torpedOed ut sight without any at |
tempt being made to give warning 10 |
tho crew or any opportunity being |
given to save their lives. a torpedo !
has bcen fired against British |
hospital ship in daylight. and similar |
treatment Is threatened TO all British |
merchant vcsscls In the future as we'll |
az to any neutral ships that may hap
pen to be found in the neighborhood |
c; the British Isles.
Faced with this situation. His Ma-
jcsty'a government considers II would |
im altogether unreasonable that Great |
British and her allies should he cx-
pectcd to remain Indefinitely bound |
to their grave dctriment, by rules and |
principles OF which they recognize tho |
tween Ecll.gerents. but which are at |
!lunce by their enemy.
III, therefore. His Mnjesty's govern
mcnt should hereafter feel constrain-
I'd to doclaro foodstulfs absolute con-
trGEand or take other measures for In |
tcrfcrin% with German trade by war OF !
rcprisals. they confidently expect that |
such action will not he challenged on |
the part Of neutral States by appeals |
10 laws and usages or war whose |
validity rests on their forming an in
tegrnl part Of that system of interna-
tionai doctrine which. as whole. |
the!r enemy frankly boasts tho lih- |
erty and Intention to disregard. SO |
long as such neutral State cannot |
ccmpel the German government to
abandon methods OF warfare which |
have not in recent history been re-
garded. as having the sanction OF
citEcr law or humanity"
Cofnt, nj yntt