The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1915-07-21
WOULD LIMIT COTTON IMPORTS
BRITAIN WILLING TO HAVE
NEUTRALS SUPPLIED FOR
ACTUAL NEEDS.
By Restriction OF Imports to COun-
tries England Expects to Prevent
Enemies From Securing Staple.
Which Is Needed i'm Manufacture of
Explosives.

London, July 15.-The British gov
Lernment hopes very shortly to limit
the export Of cotton to neutral coun-
tries to precise amount Of actual
need.
The Marquis of Crewe, lord presi-
dent of the council and Liberal leader
In the house Of lords, made an an
nouncement to this effect in the upper
house this afternoon.
The Marquis Of Crewe's statement
was made in reply to a series of
questions by Baron Charnwood re-
garding, the supply of cotton and 9TH
er material through neutral countries
to Germany, and whether the govern
ment had found that the measures
taken since last March were effec-
Itive.
The real question, he thought was
whether it was advisable to add cot
ton to the contraband list. On that
question there had been a number of
misunderstanding and misapprehen-
slons and some of them the speaker
said, undoubtedly obtained not only
in this country but in neutral coun-
tries.
So far as could be ascertained, he
continued, the naval measures taken
to prevent fresh supplies of cotton
from reaching Germany had been
successful. The government hoped by
continual friendly negotiations to i'm
prove the position progressing toward
what must be their main purpose
namely, to limit the exports to those
neutral countries to the precise
amount Of their actual needs. CAL
culated on the average imports which
they had employed at home during
the last few years.
\. The Marquis of SCrewe said that on
this question OF contraband there
could be no magic in the mere
declaration of any commodity as
contraband so long as the govern
ment pursued it's present system of
examining all goods. He did not
think any one would suppose that un-
der international law or the most ele-
mentary rules of fair play it was pos
sible to institute a blockade Of neu-
trail countries with whom England
had no quarrel.
therefore the government had
adopted a policy, which admittedly
was novel, but which was rendered
necessary by the changed conditions
of maritime warfare. The desire of
the government was to admit the ex-
port to neutral countries of goods
representing the needs of these coun-
tries. and absolutely no more.
I'm the United Sttaes," he said,
the placing of cotton on the contra
band list would cause no small
amount of alarm, and the government
is cOnvicined that so far as the en-
trance of cotton into Germany is con.
cerned we should gain no benefit. At
present we stand better instructed in
public opinion in the United States
than our enemies, and therefore, un-
less 1t is clear that a change Of this
kind Is absolutely necessary, the gov
ernment is averse to taking action
which would be regarded by a partic-
ular interest in the Southern States of
America as being unfriendly.
Il certainly am not going to say
that If the military considerations
were found to be paramount we might
not have to face corresponding disad-
vantages, and we should be unwise
to bind ourselves strictly"
STORY OF NORMANDY DENIED.