The Sentinel=record., 1915-03-19
PRECEDENTS AXE POINTED OUT
Officials BeleiVe That Great Britain to Continue Her Outlined Course Will be Obliged 10 Admit There is No Legal Basis For Her Action.

Washington, March lS-The United States government considers that Great Britain and France in the Brit ish order in council and in the accom- panying notes, have not answered the questions propounded to them as to what warrant there is under interna- tiOnal law for the establishment of an embargo on all commercial inter- course, directly and indirectly be- tween Germany and neutral countries. It was stated officially at the state department today that this govern ment still does not know whether the action of the allies is intended as a legal blockade or whether the ordi- nary rules of contraband and non. contraband are to be the legal basis for future detentions. On a determi- nation of this question probably will depend not only the nature of any steps which may be taken by the
 
 the basis for the many claims for damages arising out of interruptions of American commerce under the new policy of the allies.
 In preparing the protest to be sent to Great Britain and France the posi- tion of the United States government is substantially as follows
 l. If the action of the allies is blockade all commerce directly with Germany can be halted by making the blockade effective, a certain radius of activity being allowed for the blockading warships off the German coast because of the newly developed activities of submarines. But there can be no legal blockade of the coast of neutral countries of Europe. con- tiguOus to those at war, under any circumstances and commerce between the United States and neutrals, espe- cially in non-contrabaud, should he free from interruption, irrespective of ultimate destination
 2. If the action is not blockade 1 then there exists no legal rglt toI detain cotton or other nou-contra0and | cargoes even when consigned directly | to German ports. Nor can foodstuffs l or conditional contraband be justly | interrupted unless proved, though con | signed to Germany, to be destined for the use of its belligerent forces and not its civilian population.
 Under the same circumstances, too, | there is no legal basis for detaining l cargOes consigned from the United | States to the neutral countries of Eu- rope.
 .. Neutral countries of Europe may declare embargoes on re-eXporta ion of contraband or non-contraband, thus preventing supplies from reaching Germany. With this sovereign right the United States does not take issue but it will insist on it's right to ship to neutral countries, placing the bur den of stopping further progress on the latter nations themselves.
 In considering the above proposi- tions, officials realize that Great Britain and her allies have set mp the claim that their actions constitute re- taliatory actions against Germany, but this in the view of the American government, does not effect the status of international law as between the United States and the belliger- ents.
 Great Britains answer indicated that the cargoes and ships diverted into British ports. if owned by neu- trals, will not be contiscated but re- stored to their owners, but this will not affect the insistence of the United States on the legal right of it's subjects to ship cargoes of a non-con- traband character to and from neutral countries without interruption and re- gardless of their destination
 During the civil war the United States enforced a rigid blockade of the southern states by stopping car goes while plying between neutral ports, but in the famous Matdmoros cases finally ruled upon by Chief Jus tice Chase of the supreme court of the United States, the rule of block, ade and continuous voyage in ship ments by England and Mexico were not held to extend to goods of non contraband character
 State department officials recalling this case today, pointed out thatNaon'