Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1915-01-13
BRITAIN'S REPLY
IS MADE PUBLIC
England Says She Must Search
U. S. Ships.
ANOTHER NOTE is ON WAY
Sir Edward Grey Says wilson's Pro-
tes: Against Seizure Of AmerI-
can Ships Is Being Read
Carefully.

Washington, Jan. 11.-COpies OF Slr
Edward Grey's note on the subject OF
British seizures and detentions OF
American ships and cargoes were
given out at the state department ana
copies of the text we're also sent at the
same time to the ambassadors anu
ministers of all countries represented
in Washington, with the exception OF
Mexico.
Text of Reply.
The text of Sir Edward Grey's pre-
liminary reply to the United states
protest against the detention OF Amerl-
can ships contained in the note OF De-
cember 20, is in part as follows:
Foreign Office, Jan. Z, 1915.
Your Excellency:
have the honor to acknowledge re-
ceipt of your note of the 2Sth OF De-
cembeT
In Friendly Spirit.
Let me say at once that we entirely
recognize the most friendly spirit re-
ferred to by your excellency, and that
we desire to reply in the same spirit
and in the belief that, as your excel
lency states, frankness will best serve
the continuance of cordial relations
between the two countries.
His majesty's government cordially
concurs in the principle enunciated by
the government of the United States
that a belligerent, in dealing with
trade between neutrals, should not in
terfere unless such interference is nee
essaTy to protect the belligerents' ma
tional safety, and then only to the eX-
tent TO which this is necessary. We
shall endeavOr to keep our action with
in the limits of this principle on the
understanding that it admits our right
to interfere when such interference IS
not with "bonafide" trade between
the United States and another neutral
country, but with trade in contraband
destined for the e1emy's country, and
we are ready, whenever our action
may unintentionaIly exceed this prin-
cipIe. to make redress.
We think that much misconception
exists as to the extent to which we
have in practice interfered with trade.
HIde COnTTapaHd IN OCLlGH.
His majesty's government has never
put cotton on the list of contraband;
it has throughout the war kept it OH
the free list; and, On every occasion
when questioned on this point, it has
stated its intention of adhering 10 this
practice But information has reached
US that, precisely because we have de
cIared our intention of rot interfering
with cotton. ships carrying cotton will
be specially selected to carry con
cealed contraband; and we have been
warned that copper will he concealed
in bales CT Gotten
The cnIg wy = prove orr case
would be to examine and weigh the
bales, 2 process that could be carried
out only by bringing the vessel into
a port
With regard to the seizure Of food
stuffs % which your eXceiiency refers,
his maiasty's government is prepared
to ADMIT that fooGstuffs should not be
detained and put into a prize court
without presumption that they are in
tended fer the armed forces of the
enemy CT the enemy government
Explain Every Case.
Pending a more detailed reply,
would conclude by saying that his
majasty's government does not desire
to cCrtess the general principles of
law OF ! ich it understands the note
of the United States to be based, and
desires 10 restrict its action solely to
interference with ccn,raband des-
tined fCr tho enemy
Ii is most DESTROYS in the interest of
both tie United States ard OF other
neutral countries that British action
should not interfere with the normal
importation and use by the neutral
countries of goods from the United
States.
] have the honcr to be, with the
highest consideration. your excel
Iency's most obedient, humble serv-