The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-08-04
AND SENDS REPLIES TO AMERICAN PROTESTS ON SHIPPING

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 Order in Council of March II which Estipulates that every merchant ves- seI sailing from a port other than 2. German port, carrying goods of enemy origin, may be required to discharge such goods in a British or allied port
 Ambassador Page is instructed in this case to reiterate the position of the Government of the United States as set forth in the departments in structions of March 30, 1915. with respect to the Order in Council men toned, the international invalidity of which the Government of the United States regards as plainly illustrated by the present instance Of the seizure oE American owned goods passing from the neutral port of Rotterdam to a neutral port of the United States merely because the goods came origi- nally from territory in the possession of an enemy of Great Britain. MT Page is also instructed to inform the Foreign Office that the legality Of this seizure cannot be admitted and that, in the view of the government o11 the United States, it violates the right Of the citizens of one neutral to trade with those of another, as well as with l those of belligerents. except in coutrayz band or in violation of a. legal block l ade of an enemy seaport and that the right of American owners of goods to i course, in neutral ships must be in- fsisted upon by the United States. evens though such goods may have come originally from the territories of enc imes of Great Britain He is directed further to insist upont the desire of this government that goods taken from the Neches, which are the property of American citizens, should be expedi- tiously released to be forwarded to their destination, and to request that he be advised of the British govern nent's intended course in this matter at the earliest moment convenient to that government lBRFTTsH ANSWER ON SEIZURE. OF
 INCHES CARGO.
 Ambassador W. F. Page to the Sec Iretary Of State:
 CTeIegrazn.)
 l American Embassy I London, July 31ss 1915 l Sir Edward Grey has today sent me the following note:
 ] The note. which your ExcelIencg ad- dressed to me on the 17th inst. respect ing the detention of the cargo of the EsteaInship Neches has, need7hardlyr I say, received the careful attention of his Majesty's government.
 The note which I had the honor to lsend to your ExceIency on the 23rd instant has already explained the view lof his Majesty's government on the legal aspect of the question, though fe was prepared before your ExceIlency I communication of the 17th had been received, and, pending consideration by the government of the United States of the views and arguments set forth in the British note of the z5rd
 it is unnecessary for me to say more. on the question of right or of law.
 There is, however. one general oo- l servation that seems relevant to the. lnote from your ExceIleney's respecting the cargo of the Neches.
 Itfis the practice of the German gov lernment, in the waters through which 1.-the Neches was passing, to sink ueu- lstraI as well as British merchant yes IseIs, irrespective Of the destination oll the vessel or origin of the cargo, and Slsvithout proper regard of provision fol 1.-the safety of passengers or crews. fmany of whom have lost their lives in
 consequence. There can be no ques-4
 ton that this action is contrary to tho
 recognized and settled rules of inter. national law, as we'll as to the princf-
 pies of humanity.
 His Maissty's government, on the
 other hand, have adhered to the rll of visit and searchs and have obssrve-
 the obligation to bring into port aHQ
 submit to a. prize court any ships or : cargoes with regard to which they Z think they have a good case for dez l tention or for condemnation as con-
 traband
 His Ma1eStyS government are LoL
 aware, except from the published cor
 repondence between the United States and Germany, to what extent repara--
 ton has been claimed from Glernaalll II by neutrals for loss of ships, lives an
 cargoes. nor how far these acts hav
 been the subject even of protests P
 the neutral governments concerned.
 While those acts of the German gov ernnent continue it seems neither
 reasonable nor just that his Majesty
 government should be pressed to aban-
 don the rights claimed in the British
 onte of the 23rd and to allow goods
 from Germany to pass freely fhrouga
 waters effectively patroled by British ships of war.
 f. however. 1t be alleged that, iii particular eases and special eircurnS stances, hardships may be inflicted ous citizens Of neutral countries, his Ma jesty's government are ready in such cases to examine the facts in a, spirit 5 of consideration for the interest of neutrals. and in this spirit they ara prepared to deal with the cargo Of tas Neches, to which your ExceIIency has
 called attention. if 1t is heldzthat the i, particular circumstances of this case
 fall within this category. PAGE. a