The Washington herald., 1915-01-11

!
In the matter of cotton, it may be re-
called that the British government gave
special assistance through the Liverpool
Cotton Exchange to the renewal of trans
! actions in the cotton trade of not only
the United Kingdom but OF many neutral
! countries.
shows Copper Trade.
Your cXcellenCy's note refers in par
! ticular to the detention of copper The
! figures taken from official returns for the
export of copper from the United States
for Italy for the months during which
/ the war has been in progress up to the
end of the first three weeks Of Decem-
her are as follows:
Nineteen thirteen: Fifteen million two
/ hundred two thousand pounds. Nineteen
| fourteen: Thirty-siX million two hundred
| eighty-fve pounds Norway, Sweden
Denmark and Switzerland are not shown
separately for the whole period in the
! United states returns, but are included
/ in the heading Other Europe" Cthat
is. Europe other than the United King
dom, Russia, France, Belgium, Austria
Germany, Holland and italy,. The CORE
spending figures under this heading are
as follows:
Nineteen thirteen: Seven million two
hundred seventy-One thousand pounds
Nineteen fourteen: Thirty-fve million
three hundred forty-seven thousand
pounds
with such figures the presumption is
very strong that the bulk OF copper con-
signed to these countries has recently
been intended, not for their own use but
for that of belligerent who cannot i'm
! port II direct 1t is therefore an i'm
perative necessity for the safety of this
country while it is at war that his
majesty's government should do all in
their power to stop such part of this i'm
port OF copper as is not genuinely de-
stined for neutral countries.
Your exceIlency does not quote any
particular shipment of copper TO Sweden
which has been detained. There are,
however, four Consgnments to Sweden
at the present time of copper and alu-
minimum which. though definitely con-
signed to Sweden, are. according to
positive evidence in the possession of his
maJesty's government, definitely destined
for Germany.
Cannot Believe They're Wrong.
Il cannot believe that, with such figures
before them and in such cases as those
just mentioned, the government OF the
United States would question the pro-
priety OF the action of His Majesty's
government in taking suspected carCOes
to prize court and we are convinced
that 1t cannot be in accord with the
wish either of the government or of the
people of the United States to strain the
International code in favor of private
interests so as to prevent Great Britain
from taking such legitimate means for
this purpose as are in her power.
With regard to the seizure of food
stuffs to which Your ExceIIencv refers,
His Majesty's government are prepared
to admit that foodstuffs should not be
detailed and put into a prize court with
out presumption that they are Intended
for the armed forces OF the enemy or
the enemy government. We believe that
this rule has been adhered to-in prac-
tice hitherto. but, if the United States
government have instances to the con-
trary. We are prepared to examine them,
and 1t is our present intention to adhere
TO the rule though We cannot give an
unlimited and unconditional undertaking
in view of the departure by those against
whom we are fighting from hitherto ac-
cepted rules of civilization and humanity
and the uncertainty as to the extent to
which such rules may be violated by them
in future.
From the fourth of August last to
the third of January the number of
steamships proceeding from the United
states for Holland. Denmark, Norway,
Sweden and Italy has been 73 OIL
these there are forty-five which have had
consignments or cargoes placed in the
prize court while of the ships themselves
only eigh" have been placed in the prize
court ant one OF these has since been
released. 1t is. however, essential under
modern Conditions that, where there is
real grou, d for suspecting the presence
OF contraSand, the vessels should be
brought into port for examination: in
no other way can the right of search be
exercised, and but for this practice IL
would have to be completely abandoned.
Information was received by US that
special instructions had been given to
ship rubber from the United States un-
der another designation to escape notice.
and such cases have occurred in several
instances Only by search in port can
such cases. when suspected, be dis
covered and proved.
Cites Certain U. s. Interests.
THE necessity for examination in a port
may also be illustrated by a hypothetical
instance, connected with cotton, which
has not yet occurred. Cotton is not
specifically mentioned in Your Excel |
lency's note. but l have seen public |
statements made In the United States
that the attitude of His Majesty's Gov
ernmcnt with regard to cotton has been |
ambiguous, and thereby responsible for |
depression In the cotton trade. There |
has never been any foundation for this |
allegation. His Majesty's Government |
have never put cotton on the list OF con-
traband: they have throughout the war
kept Il on the free list; and, on every
occasion when questioned on the point. :