The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1915-11-10

creased, it is obvious that, under tn
rule Of evidence contended for by tn
British government, the presumption
of enemy destination could be applied
to a greater number of American car
goes, and American trade would suf
fer to the extent that British tradt
benefited by the increase. Grca
Britain can not expect the United
States to submit to such manifest in
justice or to permit the fights of it!
citizens to be so seriously impaired.
IA. Whatever may be the conjec
tural conclusions drawn from trade
statistics, the United States main
tains the right to sell goods into thu
general stock Of a neutral country
and denounces as illegal and unjusti
fable any attempt of belligerent tt
interfere with that right on thu
ground that it suspects that the pre-
vious supply of such goods in tht
neutral country which the import.
renew or replace has been sold to thu
enemy. That is matter with which
the neutral vendor has no concern
and which can in no way affect hi:
rights of trade. Moreover, even i
goods listed as conditional contra
band are destined to an enemy coun
try through neutral country, thai
fact is not in itself sufficient to JUS
tify their seizure"
IS. In view of these considera-
tions, the United States announces
that it has no other course but Ito
contest seizures OF vessels at sea
upon conjectural suspicion and the
practice of bringing them into port
for the purpose, by search Or ether
wise, of obtaining evidence" and
adds that relying upon the regard
of the British government for the
principles of justice so frequently
and uniformly manifested prior to
the present war, this government
anticipates that the British govern
ment will instruct their officers to
refrain from these vexations and
illegal practices"
16. Directing particular attention
to the so-called blockade measures
imposed by the order in council OF
March II, the British note of July 23
last is cited to confirm the Intention
"to establish a blockade" After over
six months application Of the block.
ade order, the note says, ''the ex.
perience OF American citizens has
convinced the government of the
United States that Great Britain has
been unsuccessful in her efforts to
distinguish between enemy and neu-
tral trade.'
II. The practice of requiring a
consignor to prove that his shipments
are not bound to an enemy Of Great
Britain even when articles are on the
embargo list of the neutral country
to ghich they are destined, as charac-
terized as 'harassing to neutral trad
ers.'
1s. While the United States gov
ernment was at first inclined to
view with leniency the British meas
ures which were termed in the CORE
spondence, but not in the order in
council of March II a blockade, be-
cause of the assurances of the British
government that inconvenience to
neutral trade would be minimiZed by
the discretion left to the courts in the
application of the order in council
and by the instructions which it was
said would be issued to the admins
tratiye and other authorities having
to do with the execution of the So
called blockade measures, this gov
ernment is now forced to the reallza-
ton that its expectations, which were
fully set forth in its note Of March
80, were based on q miSconcep1on or
the intentions of the British govern
ment. Desiring to avoid controversy
and in the expectation that the ad-
ministration of the order in council
would conform to the established
rules of international law, this gov
ernment. has until now reserved the
question of the actual validity of the
order in council Of March IL, insofar
as it is considered by the government
of Great Britain to establish a block
ade within the meaning of that term
as understood in the law and prac-
tices of nations; but in the circum-
stances now developed it feels that it
can no longer permit the validity OF
the alleged blockade to remain IN
challenged"
19. Pointing out that in accord
ance with the declaration Of Paris IN
1856 the effectiveness of a blockade
is "manifestly a question Of fact,
the United States says it is common
knowledge that the German coasts
are open 10 trade with the Scandl-
nayian countries" The recent plac-
ing of cotton on the British list OF
contraband is spoken of as making 1t
appear that the British government
themselves have been forced to the
conclusion that the blockade is lnet-
fective to prevent shipments OF cot
ton from reaching their enemies, or
else that they are doubtful as to the
legality of the form of blockade
which they have sought to maintain -
90. Decisions are cited to show
that it is an essential principle, uni
yersally accepted, that blockade
must apply impartially to the ships
of all nations, and it is added that
..if belligerents themselves trade with
blockaded ports,'' the principle in the
past has been that they can not be
regarded as effectively blockaded'
These decisions are referred to 'slnce
il is a matter of common knowledge
that Great Britain exports and re.eX'
ports large quantities OF merchandise
to Norway, Sweden, Denmark ana
Holland, whose ports, so lar as
American commerce is concerned, she
regards as blockaded."'
21. The principles of the laws OF
nations which forbid the blockade OF
neutral ports in time of war, emooo-
led in that part of the declaration OF
London adopted by Great Britain as
to blockade, are discussed and, sew
eral decisions. of the British prize
courts prior to the present war as
we'll as the Matamoras cases IN the
American civil war are recalled 10
support the contention of the United
States.
%. Measured by 'the Tniversarlly
conceded tests the present BRUSH