The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-05-15
GERMANY BOUND TO ACT THROUGH HAGUE TRIBUNAL.
 SAYS EX=GOV. BALDWIN

be engaged in war with a third pow erA the free intercourse and commerce of the other party with the, be1liger- ent power shall not be interrupted so long as neutrality is preserved, but that the vessels of the neutral party may navigate freely to and from the ports on the coast of the belligerent power. free vessels making free goods.
 fInsomuch that all things shall be adjudged free of board such neu- tral vessel although belonging to an dom shall be extended to all persons on board a free vessel except soldiers of the enemy.
 Article 1s of Fthe treaty of 17s9 also provides that contraband carried in neutral vessels sl1al not be seized on it's way to the enemy on the high seas excepting on condition of paying comp to the owners
 'sGermany claims that the meas ures of England designed to starve her yScutting off the import of sup plies, justified her in establishing a war zone about England and prohibit ing commerce therein England made much the same claim early in the last century when Napoleon attempted to. set upon a continental system di- rected against English commerce and the English prize courts accepted the principle
 t1t is question of law whether 1 those decisions wereN right. Germany and the United States differ on that question: think .dt would be proper to make the questions of law raised 1 by our note, whether of international l law or construction of treaties and conventions, the. subject Of reference l to the Hague tribunal and I hope that i the diplomatic controversy now pro- ceeding, if not otherwise settled peace fully may be settled by such a refer l ence. It was just such a questi on ed to determine.''
 Attorney Edward H. Hartman said:
 ''In the most difficult and danger 1 ous situation which has ever con-
 fronted the United Stayes the voice l of President Wilson is the voice o1
 che American people. The Presidert 1 has gone to the extreme limit o1 friendHness in attributing to the Ger man government the noblest motives I and in giving that government an op. portunity to escape responsibility fol I the acts done in violation of ouI
 rights. On the otherh and, the mes. l sage states definitely the very mini mum of our demands for the protec- ! ton 9of our rights, and bases those q demands on principles of interna- l tional law which are beyond contro l versy by lawyers, and principals oi humanity which are beyond contro T versy by civilized people. The effec of the message is, therefore, to com I pei Germany either to accept our de
 nands, or to assert that it claims
 the right, on grounds of military ne cessity, to murder non-combatants, in
 cluding American citizens, and that il
 defence of this claim, Germany chal
 lenges the United States to war,
 ''The President is doing everythini
 in his power to avoid war, and tn A Eai
 endeavors. GentIeness Is not weak
 ness, however, and courtesy is no cowardice, and if gentleness and cour : tesy fail to secure the protection o American rights, the President wi have the unflinching support of tn ., united American people in support 0 such measures as he may take to en ] force those rights