The Washington herald., 1915-08-02
NOTE
TO U. S. Strong
Objection to Shipments of
Munitions to Allies Wig
orous in Tone.
FULL TEXT REACHES HERE
Declares Spirit of Law Is Violated by
Proportions the Trade
Has Assumed.
FULL TEXT REACHES HERE

! The complete text or the AuStro-Hun-
garian note to the United States govern
ment, protesting against the trade in war
material between the United States and
the allies. was made public here last
night by the Austro- Hungarian Embassy.
Upon receiving the permission Of the
United States government. the Austro-
! Hungarian government made its note
| public in Vienna early in July, but only
portions of it were cabled to the United
States. By an accident a whole page of
| the note was lost in transmission from
the American Embassy in Vienna to
| Washington, so that the State Depart
ment will for the first time have before
! it the complete text of the note when to-
! days papers are published. The missing
| page is coming by mail. but has not yet
! been received.
! The complete text reveals more clearly
! than the press reports. the lengths to
which the dual monarchy goes in object
| ing to the sale of war materials to the
allies by persons in the United States.
Wants Embargo Declared.
| The note admits the trade is permitted
| by law, but declares that the spirit of
the law is violated by the proportion
which this trade has assumed in the
the United States enact legislation i'm
/ posing an embargo on the shipment Of
war materials to the allies.
If-as is the case-the United States
should consider this an act of unneutral
/ character toward the allies. Austria
| Hungary suggests that this objection
may be got around by:
A threat to Great Britain and her al
lies that unless they permit Germany
10 H., -,
stuffs and raw materials" from the Unit
ed States. the United States will cut off
their supply of such articles from the
United States.
This last proposal is justified by the
Austro-Hungarian government on the
ground that it would preserve the free
dom of the seas and also would serve
TO defeat the criminal" attempt of Great
Britain to starve out Germany and her
ally.
The Austro-Hungarian government de-
clares in it's note that only consideration
for its interests suffering grave injury"
from the trade in war material impelled
It to call the attention of the United
States to a matter which has already
been the occasion of representations by
Germany. 1t is assumed here that this
refers to Ambassador Bernstorff's memo
randum, delivered in April, to which
President Wilson himself made most
decisive answer. repudiating the AM
bassadors suggestions for a change OF
policy regarding the trade In war ma
terial from this country.
1t has not yet been decided whether
the Austro-Hungarian note will be re-
piled to or not. This decision Is waiting
on the receipt Of the missing page of the
document. If a reply is made, however,
it is certain that 1t will be along the lines
already made quite familiar to all con-
cerned in the Stone letter and the Presi-
dents note to the German Ambassador.
Probably Inspired in Berlin.
There is no doubt entertained here that
the note sent from Vienna had its in
SEPARATION in Berlin. Having already made
representations regarding the trade In
arms and ammunition. the German gov
eminent could not we'll speak of the
subject again in the same way. Conse-
cIuently the understanding here is that
the Berlin government sought to keep
the issue alive in the United States. If
possible, by having its ally address a |
similar note to WASHINGTON
The Vienna government admits that in |
ordinary circumstances, Art. VII, of the |
Fifth Hague Convention. Second Confer |
ence, permits a neutral to sell arms
to a belliserent power. This article is |
as follows:
"A neutral power is not called upon !
to prevent the export or transport. on |
behalf of one or other of the belliger-
ents Of arms, munitions of war, or,
in general, of anything which can be
of use to army or a fleet"
The situation in the presnt war tran
scends. however. according to Austria
Hungary, the circumstances this article
was designed to cover. The article was
intended. it is claimed TO protect mere
~ the normal industry of neutral In
such materials. Its spirit is violated.
Vienna asserts. by expansion of the
normal industry specially for the pur-
pose of supplying such materials to a
helligerent.