The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-08-04

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 The British reply is contained In two notes. one supplemental. With the notes was made public correspond ence over the American steamer Neches seized by the British while an route from Rotterdam to the United States with goods of German origin.
 Changed Conditions.
 Changed conditions of warfare, the British note contends, require new Implication of the principles of inter national law. The advent of the sub parine, the airship, alleged German Atrocities in Belgium, are cited as Justification for extreme measures. The blockade is justified on the con tention that the universally recognized fundamental principle of blockade is .hat belligerent is entitled to cut off 'by effective means the sea-borne commerce of his enemy"
 The note reiterates that Great Britain will continue to apply the orders com plained of, although not without every effort to avoid embarrassing neutrals, and observes that American statistics show that any loss in trade with Germany and Austria has been more than overbal- hnced by the increase of other industrial activities due to the war.
 ''In the general reply to the American representations against the orders in coun- gil Sir Edward Grey, the foreign minister, addressing Ambassador Page. begins by depressing the hope that he may con 5ince the administration in Washington that the measures we have advanced Ire not only reasonable and necessary in themselves, but constitute no more than m adaptation of the old principles of blockade to the peculiar circumstances with which we are confronted"
 Overcome Common Enemy
 "I need scarcely dwell" wrote Sir Edward, "on the obligations incum ,ent upon the allies to take every step their power to overcome their com non enemy in view of the shocking 'iolation of the recognized rules and
  le has been guilty during the present tEuggle."
 Sir Edward then refers to alleged Atrocities in Belgium, poisoning of wells In German Southwest Africa, use If poisonous gases against the allied roops in Flanders and finally the sink ng of the Lusitania, to show "how in- lsrensable 1t is that we should leave unused no justifiable method of de- ending ourselves"
 Coming down to the question of the llied blockade of neutral ports the hote continues:
 "In the various notes which I have received from your excellency the right of a belligerent to estab- fish a blocka ade of the enemy ports is admitted. right which has ob- viously no value save in so far as 1t gives power to belligerent to cut off the sea borne exports and imports of his enemy. The conten- tion which I understand the Uni ted States government now puts forward is that if belligerent Is 50 oircum stanced that his com merce can pass through adjacent neutral ports easily as through ports In his own territory. his op- ponent has no right to interfere and must restrict his measures of blockade in such a manner as to
 
 still open to his adversary. This Is . contention which his majesty's government feels unable to accept and which seems to them unsus- tainable either in point of law or upon principles of international squity.
 Cut Off Enemy's Commerce
 AThey are unable to admit that a elligerent violates any fundamental rinciple of international law by ap- lying a blockade In such a way as cut off the enemy's commerce with ofeign countries through neutral ports the circumstances render such ar pplication of the principles of block de the only means of making 1t eff ective The government of the Uni ed States, indeed. intimates its read ness to take into account the greai hanges which have occurred in the onditions and means of naval war are since the rules hitherto govern. 1e legal blockade were formulated nd recognize that the form of close sockade with its cordon of ships ir he immediate offing of the blockadet orts is no longer practicable in the ace of an enemy possessing the means nd opportunity to make an effective efense by the use of submarines ,ines and aircraft
 "The only question then which car rNse in regard to the measures re- ,rted to for the purpose of carrying ut a blockade upon these extended nes is whether to use your excel sncy's words, they conform to ths birit and principles of the essence .tha rules of war and we shall bt atent to apply this test to the nc on which we have taken h 70 fal