The Cook County news-herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Cook County, Minn.) 1909-current, 1915-08-12
BRITAIN UPH0LOS.
BLOCKADE ORDER
REJECTS CONTENTION THAT Or
DERS-iN-CoUNciL ARE ILLE-
GAL-JUsTIFIEs COURSE.
CONTENTION UNDERSTANDABLE
SIR Edward Grey Asserts His Gov
eminent ls Unable to Accept
Claims Put Forward by y. S.
Refers to Atrocities in Belgium.

Washington, Aug. 5.-Great Britain
replies to the latest American repre-
sensations against interferences with
neutral commerce reject entirely the
contention that the orders-in-council
are illegal and justify the British
course as being wholly within interna-
tional law.
! "Unsustainable either in point Of
law or upon principles of internation-
al equity" is the British reply to the
American protest against the block
ade of neutral ports, with an invita-
ton to submit to International arbi-
tration any cases in which the United
States is dissatisfied with the action
Of British prize courts.
Great Britain's reply, embodied in
two notes, one supplemental, was
made public here and in London sim
ultaneously by agreement between the
two governments. With the notes
was made public also the correspond
ence over the American steamer
Neches, seized by the British while
en- route from Rotterdam to the Unit
ed States with goods of German orig.
in. All the correspondence aggre
gates 1000 words.
Changed Conditions of Warfare
Changed conditions of warfare, the
British note contends, require new
application of the principles of inter
national law. The advent of the sub
marine, the airship and the alleged
atrocities by German troops in Bel.
GUM are cited as justification for the
exercise of extreme measures. The
blockade is justified on the conten
ton that the universally recognized
fundamental principle of blockade
is that a belligerent is entitled to
cut off ''by effective means the sea-
borne commerce of his enemy"
| The note reiterates that Great Brit.
ain will continue to apply the orders
complained of, although not without
every effort to avoid embarrassment
to neutrals, and observe that the
| American statistics show that any
loss in trade with Germany and Aus
tria has been more than overbalanced
by the increase of other industrial
activities due to the war.
Adaptation Of Old Principles.
In the general reply to the Ameri-
| can representations against the or
ders-in-council, Sir Edward Grey, the
| foreign minister, addressing Ambas-
sador Page, begins by expressing the
hope that he may be able to convince
the administration in Washington
that the measures we have announce
ed are not only reasonable and neces.
sary in themselves, but constitute no
| more than an adaptation of the old
principles of blockade to the peculiar
circumstances with which we are con.
| fronted
Il need scarcely dwell" wrote Sir
! Edward, ION the obligations incum:
bent upon the allies to take every
step in their power to overcome their
common enemy in view of the shock.
ing violation of the recognized rules
and principles of civilized warfare of
which he has been guilty during the
present struggle"
Sir Edward then refers to atroci-
ties in Belgium, poisoning of wells
in German Southwest Africa, use of
poisonous gases against the allied
troops in Flanders and finally the
sinking Of the Lusitania, to show
how indispensable it is that we
should leave unused no justifable
method OF defending ourselves
Contention UnsustainabIe.
Coming down to the question of
! the allied blockade of neutral ports.
| the note continues:
| In the various notes which l have
received from your excellency the
right of belligerent to establish a
! blockade OF the enemy ports is ad-
mltted, right which has obviously
no value save in so far as it gives
power to belligerent to cut off the
sea-borne exports of his enemy. The
contention which l understand the
United States government now puts
forward is that if a belligerent is so
clrcumstanced that his commerce can
pass through adjacent neutral ports
as easily as through ports in his own
territory, his opponent has no right
to Interfere and must restrict his
measures Of blockade in such a man.
| ner as to leave such avenues of COM
merce still open to his adversary
This IS a contention which His Maj
esty's government feel unable to &C.
cept and which seems to them Ansus-
taina5le either in point of law or upon
principles Of international equity"
Eagles Select Savannah,
Spokane, WASH, Aug. 6.-The new