Omaha daily bee., 1915-08-04
BRITAIN ASSERTS
ITS BLOCKADE is
LAWFUL
a
.ey Declares American Protest that
0Tders-ln-Co -CounolI Are Illegal
to Be Unsustainable on
Any Grounds,
CHANGED CONDITIONS" CITED
Alleged German Atrocities Held to
Justify Move to Cut Off Sea
Trade of Foe.
J. BULL TO CONTINUE DOING IT

WASHINGTON, Aug. 3.-Great
Britain's replies to the latest Amer
ican representations against inter-
ference with neutral commerce reject
entirely the contention that the or
ders-in-council are illegal and JUS
tify the British course as being
within international law.
"Unsustainable either In point Of law
or upon principles OF international
equity" is the British reply to the Amer
Jean protest against the blockade of
enutral ports with an invitation to sub
NIT to international arbitration any cases
in which the United States Is dissatis-
fled with action OF British prize courts.
Great Britalns reply. embodied in two
notes. one supplemental was made pub
lie here tonight and in London stimuli
taneously by agreement between the two
governments. With the notes made pub
lie also the correspondence over the
American steamer Neches, seized by the
British while en- route from Rotterdam
to the United States with goods of eGr-
man origin. All the correspondence ag-
gregates 1000 words.
Changed Conditions, Says Briton.
Changed conditions Of warfare, the
British note contends, require new
application of the principles of inter-
national law. The advent of the sub
marine, the airship and the alleged
atrocities by Germany troops In Bel
gium are cited as justification for the
exercise Of extreme measures. The block
ade Is justified on the contention that
the universally recognized fundamental
principle Of a blockade is that bellig-
erent is entitled to cut off "by effective
means the sea-borne commerce of his
enemy"
The note reiterates that Gereat Britain
will continue to apply the orders COM
planned of, although not without every
effort to avoid embarrassment to neu-
trails. and observes that the American
statistics show that any loss In trade
with Germany and Austria has been
more than overbaianced by the increase
OF other industrial activities due to the
war
In the general reply TO the American
representations against the orders-in-
council, Sir Edward Grey. the foreign
minister, addressing Ambassador Page,
begins by expressing the hope that he
may be able to convince the administra-
ton in Washington that the measures
we have announced are not only reason
able andn ecessary in themselves. but
constitute no more than an adoption of
the old principles Of blockade TO the
peculiar circumstances with which we
are confronted.
Must Do Everything.
seW II
ward. ION the obligations incumbent upon
the allies TO take every step in their
power 20 overcome their common enemy
in view of the shocking violation Of tho
recognized rules and principles Of civil
llzed warfare OF which he has been
guilty during the present struggle"
Sir Edward then refers to alleged afro
cities In Belgium, poisoning of wells in
German southwest Africa, use OF pois-
onous gases against the allied troops in
Flanders, and finally. the sinking of the
Lusitania, to show "how Indispensable
1t is that we should leave unused no
justifiable method of defending our
selves"
Coming down TO the question of the
allied blockade of neutral ports. the note
continues:
In the various notes, which I have
received from your excellency. the right
OF belllgerent to establish a blockade
Of the enemy ports Is admitted, a right
which has obviously no no value save in
sofar as 1t gives power to a belligerent
to cut off the sea-borne exports and i'm
ports of his enemy. The contentious.
which understand the United States
government now puts forward, is that
! II a belligerent h so circumstanced that
his commerce can pass through adjacent
neutral ports as easily as through ports
in his own territory. his opponents has
no right to interfere and must restrict
his measures 10 blockade in such a man
ner as to leave such avenues Of COM
merce still open TO his adversaries. This
! is a contention which his majesty's gov
ernment feel unable TO accept and which
seems to them unsustsinable either in
ternational equity.
VIII Not ADMIT IL.
They ere unable to admit that a
belligerent violates any fupdamental prin-
ciple OF international law by applying a
blockade IN such way as 10 cut off the
enemy's commerce with foreign countries
through neutral ports. II the circum-
stances render such an application OF the
/ principles of blockade the only means OF
making II effective The government OF
the United States, indeed. intimates its
readiness TO take into account the great
changes which have occurred in the con-
CONTINUED on Page Two. Column Two)
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