Der Deutsche correspondent. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1841-1918, 1915-02-26
Wilhelmina Case Not Tonched.

Wilhelmina Case Not Touched.
The cargo of the American vessel
Wilhelmina, which has been seized
by the British government. consisted.
so the the commission house which
shipped it has informed the govern
ment, of about one-sixth grain and
flour and five-sixths other food. not
grain nor flour. by no possible
reasoning can fye-sixths OF the Will
helmina's cargo be said to be touched
1 By the German decree, but by no
possible reasoning can any part of it
be said to come under that Decree
for the decree expressly exempts all
imported grain.
Further still, if there could re-
main any doubt on the subject it
would seem to be removed by the
fact that the German government
has given to the American govern
ment and the American government
has communicated to Great Britain
a guarantee that foodstuffs imported
from neutral countries will be SOLD
exclusively and directly to the civil
ian population and in order to fur
! ther insure this has proposed that q
special American organization be es-
tablished under the control of the
American consulates for the sale to
noncombatants only of provisions
shipped from America.
BY every principle known to inter-
national law, by the express and ex-
plicit statutes of the declaration Of
London, the most authoritative en-
bodiment of the maritime law Of ma
tions, enacted at an international
congress called by Great Britain.
holden in London, using for its work
ing basis a compilation of interna-
tional precedents, DEGREES and mis-
cellaneous documents bearing on the
subject prepared by the British
government (the London Red Book
of 1909). foodstuffs in transit to the
noncombatant population Of bel
ligerent power are entitled to un-
challenged passage across the seas.
In its communication to Great
Britain protesting against interfer-
ence with our commerce the govern
ment at Washington, reviewing the
law, the precedents and the history
bearing on the subject was able to
cite an unbroken line of authority,
alike British and American, which
removes this principle forever from
the domain Of controversy. That
protest called attention to the fact
that not only the entire succession Of
American secretaries OF state from
Mr.. Jefferson to Mr.. Hay, but equally
the succession of British premiers
and foreign ministers from 1895
down the 119 years till the outbreak
of the present war, had upheld this
principle, 1t quoted Lord Granville,
Lord Salisbury and Lord Lansdowne
in unqualified assertion of the prin-
ciple that "foodstuns with a hostile
destination can be considered con
traband of war only if they are sup
plies for the enemy's forces" This
particular language is Lord Sails
bury's, Jan. 10, 1900.
TO these citations now ask the
New York Sun to add for the atten-
tion of the country remarkable ex-
preston made by the present minis
ter of foreign affairs of Great Brit
ain, Sir Edward Grey in his instruc-
tions to the British delegation at the
second peace conference at The
Hague.
In the document which is inclosed,
dated at the London foreign office,
June -, 1907
(a) The British government de-
Cldi tH llo PulpONt VI SOluS " luc CA
treme of abandoning the very prin-
ciple of contraband Of war alto
gether
(b) In the event of the rejection
of the proposal to abandon the prin-
ciple OF contraband OF war altogether
the British government instructs its
representatives to endeavor to secure
from the conference a list OF articles
of contraband restricted within the
narrowest possible limits.
Co If such a list could not be
secured the British delegates are in
structed to propose that nations
should publish during peace a list of
contraband articles, from which no
changes should be made on the out
break of the war.
(d) The British delegation is in
structed to secure if possible the
enumeration of such articles as food
stuas, mails and peaceful raw mater
ials as articles which in no event
shall fall within the category of con
traband
(e) Finally the British govern
ment expresses its anxiety to see the
right of search limited in every
practical way.
mo bo continued