Licking Valley courier. [volume] (West Liberty, Ky.) 19??-current, 1915-08-19
nsness in their relations with one

1.-The Government VI IhO
States in the foregoing discussion OF
the practical reason why 1t has advo-
Gated and practiced trade in munitions
of war. wishes to be understood as
speaking with no thought OF express
ing or implying any judgment with re-
gard to the circumstances OF the pres
emf war, but as merely putting very
frankly the argument in this matter
which has been conclusive in deter
mining the policy Of the United States.
while the practice of nations, so
we'll illustrated by the practice of Aus
tro-Hungary and Germany during the
South African war, and the manifest
evil which the suggestions of the I'm
perial and Royal Government out Of
the question, certain assertions as ap-
pearing in the Austro-Hungarian state
ments as grounds for its contentious
can not be passed over without com.
ment. These assertions are substan-
TALLY as follows:
"1. That the expectation Of arms
and ammunition from the United
States to belligerents contravenes the
preamble of The Hague Convention No.
13 of 1907. 2. That it is inconsistent
with the refusal of this government to
allow delivery of supplies to vessels
of war on the high seas. 8. That, 'ac-
cording to all authorities on interna-
tional law who concern themselves
more properly with the question, ex-
portation should be prevnted when
this traffic assumes such a form or
such dimensions that the neutrality
of a nation becomes involved there
by
"As to the assertion that the eX-
portation of arms and ammunition
contravenes the preamble Of The
Hague Convention No. 13 of 1907, this
Government presumes that reference
is made to the last paragraph of the
preamble, which is as follows: See
ing that, in this category of ideas,
these rules should not, in principle, be
altered, in the course Of the war, by
neutral power, except in a case
where experience has shown the
necessity of neutral power to do so
in order to. protect its own rights.
The right and duty to determine when
this necessity exists rests with the neu-
trail, not with belligerent. 1t is dis
cretionary, not mandatory.
itself of the right, belligerent is not
privileged to complain, for in doing so
1t would be in the position of declar-
ing to the neutral power what is neces-
sary to protect that powers own
rights The Imperial and Royal Gov
ernments can not. but perceive that
a complaint of this nature would in
vite just rebuke.
with reference to the asserted in
consistency of the course adopted by
the Government in relation to the ex-
portation of arms and ammunition and
that followed in not allowing supplies
to be taken from its ports to ships of
war on the high seas, 1t is only neces-
sary to point out that the prohibition
of supplies to ships of war rests upon
the principle that a neutral power
must not permit its territory to be-
come a naval base for either bel
ligerent.
"a warship may, under certain re.
strictions, obtain fuel and supplies in
neutral port once in three months
To permit merchant vessels acting as
tenders to carry supplies more often
than three months and in unlimited
amount would defeat the purpose oi
the rule and might constitute the neu
tral territory naval base.
Furthermore, this Government Il
unaware that any Austro-Hungariar
ship of war has sought to obtain sup
plies from port in the United States
either directly or indirectly, Thi!
subject has, however, already beer
: discussed with the Imperial German
Government, to which the position o
this Government was fully set fortl
December "a, 1914.
= ''fn view Of the positive assertion
. in the statement of the Imperial ant
Royal Government as to the unanimit
! of the opinions of text writer's as t
the expectation of contraband bein
; unneutral, this Government has cause
! careful examination Of the principl
u authorities on international law to b
made. AS result of this examina
!, tion 1t has come to the conclusion tina
Il the Imperial and Royal Government
has been misled and has inadvertentl
Il made an erroneous assertion. Les
than one.fifth of the authorities col
suited advocate unreservedly the prt
hibltion of the export OF contrabant
. Several of those who constitute thi
minority admit that the practice {
- nations has been otherwise.
= ut may not be inopportune to diret
. particular attention to the declaratio
=, of the German authority, Paul Einick
y who states that, at the beginning
n war, belligerents have never reno
- strated against the enactment of pr
a. hibitions on trade in contraband b,
: adds:
" "'That such prohibitions may |
10 considered as violations of neutrali
N or at least as unfriendly acts, II the
10 are enacted during war with Il
~ purpose to close Unexpectedly Il
or sources Of supply to party whiC
or heretofore had relied on them
Il. "The Government of the Unit,
States deems II necessary to extel
~ further at the present time consi
~, Grafton of the statement of the Austl
", Hungarian Government. The prin
n, pies OF international law, the prt
In. tICe of nations, the national safety
To-. the United States and other natio
NJ without great military and naval
od Establishments, the prevention of
~. creased armies and nOvies, the ado
~ ton of peaceful methods for the {