The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-08-17
Intention of Allies UnOffic-
tally Communicated to
State Department
TO STOP GERMANY
FROM GETTING SUPPLY
It is Gained That Cotton from This
CoUE,r y Reaches Teutonic Nations
Thrc n Neutral Ports State De
part--ent Expected to Resist.

WASHINGTON, August II = The al |
lies intention to declare cotton contra
band Ea3 been communicated unofcially
but authoritatiyely to the state depart
ment. The departments advices are that
the decision has been reached and the de
lay in making an announcement is due
to the necessity of arranging uniform
treatment Of the subject by all the allies
The step has been agreed upon by Great
Britain, France, Russia, Italy, and Bel
GUM, bue Japan's attitude has not been
defined, ard she may decide that no ac-
ton IS c..iied for from her at this time,
because q the elimination of the only
/ German colony in the Far East from the
military problem, and the absence Of any
reason for blockade
Ever since the application Of the British
orders in council to cotton, among other
American products, the entente allies
/ have felt mat some more effective and
less cumbersome method must be found
for dealing with cotton and preventing its
entry into Germany and Austria The
ialhes contcr.d that American cotton ship
Ipers, in may cases, alleged to be backed
by German capital, have been shipping
cotton to Germany through neutral ports
Under the orders-in-council such a cargo
if captured was merely taken into a Brit
Ish port and paid for by the British gov
eminent. The allies contend that under
those con5it ons a great deal OF the cot
ton got through Sweden. Denmark, and
Holland into Germany. From the allies
J point of vs the ordcrs-in-counci were in
: effective lceause they obliged the British
! government - buy cotton and at the same
time offered an incentive to blockade run
ners.
According . the advices reaching Wash
lngton the ia assure in England and France
:. has compelled change. The British gov
eminent OFFICIALLY regarded cotton as non
contraband nd expressed a desire t,
;, avoid intiiot5ng hardship upon the South
: crn planters and to avoid development o
: an anti-Britizh feeling in this country
The change 10 contrahand win be dc
! Tended authorized by international law
! Great Britain protested against til
American blockade of outgoing cotto
;. from the South during the Civil war, an
, had refused 10 recognize it as contraban
) during the RI so-japanese war, but wi
: now contend That radical changes in tn
conditions Of warfare since that time. iu
tify a change in attitude,
The entente powers, according to az
vices received here, expect that the stat
department. vii resist making cotton COZ
traband and are preparing to base the
C action ON American proceedings The a,
vices reaching here indicate they intcn
to argue that beth Presidents Lincoln an
=. johnson in formal proclamations issued
II. April, May, and June, in 1860, went c
Is record as maintaining as contraband
be war materials for the fabrication of al
'ly munition." That cotton has taken Il
en- place of saltp5tre, always recognized
OF absolute contraband, in the manufactu
Ter of gunpowder w.ll be held to be an esta
he lished fact
1t il expected that some sort of arrang
he ment viii be proposed by which the ALI
is will engage to allow cotton to travel II
molested to neutral countries in quan
} n ties in proportion to their normal co
,ar sumption. What the effect will be on t
he American cotton growers is the subject
Of contention. TIL allied powers are pl
en-, pared to argue that it viii not be fa
for reaching