Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-10-29

tAs ntting sn4 n Amsxscaa 4wf1tssy n
vsass1s inHnndDA 1ur war1ih puyn.oa
Stz4es s0vsEnmsnt rsspaaa1hae 1r any
damages to British trnde or sfaiprtng or
injury TO British interasss generally
which may be caused by such vessels
having been equipped 1T, or departing
from. Uaitsa States ports"
The ruling Of the state department
that IT was permissible for merchant
ships TO arm for defensive purposes drew
firth note from the British embassy
on instructions from the foreign ONCE
giving The fullest assurances that Bri-
tish merchant vessels win never be used
for purposes Of attack, that they are
merely traders armed only for defense.
that they viii never fire unless first fired
upon and that they will never under any
circumstances attack any vessel"
The German government in a mend
ranfum transmitted by Ambassador Ge-
rard took exception to the view thar
merchant vessels, were permitted to- de-
fend themselves against a war vessel
and argued that II was question
whether or not armed merchant ships
should be admitted into neutral pcfts
at ALL the extent OF armament beiaA
held as anor1fng no guaranty that ships
armed for defensive purposes only will
not be used for offensive purposes under
certain circumstances Mr.. I4ansing's
answer was that the United States held
that 10 permit. vessels of small arma-
ment to enjoy the hospitality of Ameri-
can ports - merchant vessels was not
violation Of neutrality
Nevertheless" the American reply
adds, the government Of the United
States is not unmindful of the fact
that the circumstances of a partic-
ular case may be such as to cause en-
barrassment and possible controversy
as to the character of an armed pri-
vate vessel visiting its ports. Reccg-
mixing. therefore. the .desirabiaity Of
avoiding ground of complaint. this
government, rs seen as a case arose.
while frankly admitting the right of
merchant vessel to carry a defensive
armament expressed its disapproba-
ton Of practice which compelled it
TO pass upon a vessels intended use,
which opinion if proven subsequent
y NaiOihCOoS aAAiGHt IO1l6lltute a
ground for charge of unneutrality.
As a result of these representations
no merchant vessels with armament
have visited the ports Of the United
States since the 10th of September
In fact from the beginning of the Eu-
ropean war but two armed private
vessels have entered or cleared from
ports Of this country and as to these
vessels their character as merchant
vessels was conclusively established
The efforts of the State department
to obtain improvements in the censor
ship OF commercial cablegrams con-
stitutes a lengthy correspondence Of
a period of more than a year. The
history of the formation of the Bel
gian relief commission and the part
the United States government played
in it is shown in a series Of notes
passing between Ambassador Gerard,
Ambassador Page and Minister Whit
lock-
The correspondence relating to the at
tempt of the German ship Odenwald to
sail from San Juan, Corto Rico, without
clearance papers furnished another in
teresting chapter of the volume. The
state departments note in answer to the
German governments complaint that the
port authorities opened fire on the steam
er without warning concludes after a
long review Of the evidence that The
United States authorities at San Juan
in the performance Of their duty avoided
any act endangering the safety Of the
vessel and the lives OF the persons on
board and exercised no greater force
than was necessary to prevent the ille-
gal departure of the Odenwald from
the port of San Juan.''
The case Of August Piepenbrink. an
American citizen Of German birth taken
from an American vessel on the high
seas by the French cruiser Condo, was
the subject of long exchanges. The
Trent case in the Civil War was cited rs
basis for the American demand for
the release of Piepenhrink. The text OF
note from Foreign Minister Delcasss
to Ambassador Sharp at Paris shows
that Great Britain and France never nd
mitted the American contention although
the prisoner was surrendered ''as a spe-
cial favor" The Allies argued that Pie
penbrink was not really an American
citizen, having only declared his inten-
ton to become naturalized. The state
department set forth the view that
There is no justification IN international
law for the removal Of even sn sneny's
subject from a neutral vessel on the
high seas bound to = neutral port. even
if he could properly be considered a MIL
itary person
ADVANCE Upon