New Britain herald., 1915-10-29
SECOND CHAPTER OF
 J. s. WHITE BOOK
Germany Admits Shipments Of War Supplies to Allies Is Legal


 governments White Book was issued last night by the state department. ! It gives the text of important diplo- matic correspondence with the bel ! legerent governments of Europe since the publication of the first instalment last May.
 l Besides constituting a public record of the position of the United States as precedent for the future the vol ume reveals to the public series of charges and counter charges by the belligerents that reflect the difficulties constantly encountered in the delicate task of observing neutrality. Most of l the correspondence never before has been made public in text, although press dispatches have covered much l of it's substance.
 German Memorandum. One of the most interesting features , of the new edition is the publication i for the first time of a memorandum of | the German foreign office referred to 1 in colluquy between Chairman Flood 1 of the House foreign affairs commit tee and Representative Bartholdt of Missouri at the hearing on the bills | pIOpOSluS du oul DdTSO OIl dTUS. MT. Flood quoted the mem orandum 1 as justification of his argument that l the German government did not hold l shipments of munitions to the allies as illegal. It appears that the cor l respondence with the German govern 1nent conducted by Ambassador von Bernstorff developed as a consequence ! of a ruling by the United States that l it was a violation of neutrality for 1 merchant ships to leave American | ports for the express purpose of SUD- plying belligerent warships at sea. Tn ambassadors note said:
 UntenabIe In Law.
 '"rhe position taken by the govern ment of the United States as to the delivery of coal and other necessaries to warships of the belligerent states constituting a violation of neutrality is, in the opinion of the imperial Ger man government, untenable in inter- national law. The imperial govern ment has set forth it's position on this point in a memorandum which, in compliance with instructions, I have the honor to forward to your excel lency."
 The correspondence shows that the state department received also a conl- plaint from the British ambassador stating that the "systematic way in which neutral ships have left Amer ican ports in order to supply German cruisers, and have been allowed to operate freely in the. ports of the United States in spite of the warn ings which have given in the mat ter, causes grave anxiety to his ma jestys government"
 Armament of Merchantmen. A series of communications passed between the British embassy and the state department on defensive arma- ment of merchantmen and the right of belligenert merchant ships to leave neutral ports prepared to arm at sea. The British embassy stated that with reference to the fitting out on Amer ican territory of vessels intended for warlike purposes, Great Britain would hold the United States govern m ent responsible for any damage to British trade or shipping or injury to British interests generally which may be caused by such vessels having been equipped at, or departing from, United States ports.'
 The ruling of the state departm ent that it was permissible for merchant ships to arm for defensive purposes, drew forth a note from the British embassy on instructions from the for eign office giving "the fullest assur- ances that British merchant vessels will never, be used for purposes of at l tack, that they are merely traders ] armed only for defense, that they will I never fire unless first fired upon and l that they will never under any cir cumstances attack any vessel'' Germany Takes Exceptions.
 The German government in a mem 1 orandum transmitted by Ambassador Gerard took exception to the view | that merchant vessels were permitted to defend themselves against a war vessel, and argued that it was a question whether or not armed mer- chant ships "should be admitted into neutral ports at al1," the extent of armament being held as affording mo guaranty that ships armed for defensive purposes only will not be used for offensive purposes under cer- tain circumstances" MT. Lansing's answer was that the United States held that to permit vessels of small armament to enjoy the hospitality of American ports as merchant vessels was not a violation of neutrality.
 The efforts of the state departm ent l tO oDIaiH improvements Tn the cen- sorship of commercial cab1egrams constitutes a long correspondence over a period of more than a year. The history of the formation of Belgia n relief commission and the part the United States government played in
 it is shown in a series of notes pass ing between Ambassador Gerard. Ambassador Page and Minister Whit lock.