Norwich bulletin., 1915-02-18

innocent neutral trade through the
 mines scattered by the enemy than
 through the British exercise of the
 right of seizinS /contraband"
 Discussing the general proposition
 that a belligerent is entitled to cap
 ture contraband goods on their way
 to the enemy the British note traces
 the origin of the right of interceptiou and speaks Of the new devices en-
 countered from time to time for dis
 patching contraband goods to an en-
 enly. Here the doctrine of continuous
 voyage as enunciated during the Civil
 war by Secretary Seward, is quoted
 at length and the question of ultimate
 destination argued in legal detail. To
 justify tlle detention of suspected car-
 goes when passing between neutral
 countries and taking them into ports
 for examination the cases of Ameri-
 can practice during the Spanish-Am
 ican war also are cited and the note
 says these precedents are inconsistent
 with the statement of the American
 government made to the British am bassador at Washington on the sev-
 enth of November which insists that search should be made on the high
 seas 'Sat the time of the visit" and that the conclusion of the search should rest upon the evidence found on the ship under inVestiga ton and not upon circumstances ascertained from external sources
 The foreign secretary reiterates that the increased size of steamships ne cessitates search in calm waters and insists that during the Russo Jap anese war and also during the second Balkan war British vessels were made to deVisate from their course and fol- low the cruisers to some sp-t wbere the right of visit and search could be more conveniently carried out and in | both eases. although questioned at first. Great Britain finally acquiesced. Taking of Ships Into Port. To take a ship into port, the note contends. is not to be looked upon '-as a new belligeTent right but as an ada ptatiou of the existing right to the 1 modern conditions of commerce." and like all belligerent rights it must be exercised with due regard to neutral interests and 1t would be unrea sonab1e to expect a neutral vessel to make long dviations from her course for this purpose. For this reason, it is as serted, neutral merchantmen were en- cOuraged to visit some British port on their route to avoid the alternative of keeping a vessel waiting, perhaps for days. for better weather conditions on the high seas
 l Merchant Vessels Occasionally Suffer Realizing that in no war have neu- l traf vessels not occasionally suffered ! from unjustifed beII:gerent action. ." l Great Britain suggests that oppor- 1 tunitles for adequate compensation are offered in the British prize courts de- i tails or which proceedings are given. ! Tt is the common eNp perieucc of ] every war, continues the note, that ! neutrals whose attempts to engage in l suspicious trading are frustrated by Q ] beIliSerent are wont to have recourse i to their government to urge that dip- | lomatic reInonstrances should be made i on their behalf and that redress should [ u obtained fir ffpy11 in i When an effective mode Of redress is ! open to them in the courts Of & civ 1 iliZed country by which they can ob- i tain adequate satisfaction for any in l vasion of their rights which is con i trary to the law Of nations, the only | course which is consistent with sound : principle is that they should be re- | ferred to that mode Of redress and 1 that no diplomatic action should be ! taken until their legal remedies have i been exhausted and they are ir a po- 1 sition to show Drima facte denial of ! justice
 ! The British government recalls that i 1t followed this course with it's own ships during the American Civil war 1 and the Spanish American war. 1 Detention of Ships.
 In connection with the subject of detentions,- Ambassador Page is re minded that he has now been supplied DS IIIe DTlLlSn LOTelS1 once TW4Cn Dar tlcularS Of every ship under Ameri- can colors detained and of every ship ment of cargo in which an American citizen appears to be the party inter ested: not only is the fact of c5aten- ton notified to Your Ezcellency. but 1 so far as is practicable, the grounds upon which the vessel or cargo had been detained are also communicated 1 to you. a concession which enables
 any United States citizen to take steps
 at once to protect his interests"
 Conditional contrakand and Foodstuffs Turning to the question of condi-
 tional contraoand and foodstuffs, the
 note says:
 No country had maintained more
 stoutly than Great Britain in modern
 times the principle that a belligerent
 should abstain from interference with
 the foodstuffs intended for the civil population. The circurnst stances of the
 present struggle are causing His Ma jesty's government some anxietN- as to whether the existing rules with reear,I
 to conditional contra0and. framed as
 they were with the object of protecting
 so far as possible the supplies which
 were intended for the civil popula-
 ton, are effective for the purpose, or
 suitable to the conditions presented
 The principle which have indf- cated above is one which His Ma jesty's government has constantly had to uphold against- the opposition of continental powers. In the absence of some certainty that the rule would be respected by both parties to this con f1ict, we feel great doubt whether il should be regarded aS an stfllIashed principle Of international law"
 Quotes Sisnlarek's Answer.
 Sir. Edward then quotes Prince Bis rnarcks answer to the KieI chamber of commerce 1S44 in connection with the treatment of rice as contraband in the Frerch-CLinezr9 war:
 The measCTe in eGIeStion." Prince Bismarck is Quoteds as saving has for it's object the shortening of the
 war o5- increasing the difficulties of the enemy and is Q iUstidaole s,e1 in war if inapartialy enforced against all neutral ships
 The British n31e here remarks:
 His -daiesty's government are dis posed to think that the saInc view is still maintained cy the German e.o5-- errnent. Another ci.-c-:T71Scs.-ice 7-hicl. is coming to EST2t is tha-t al1 elaborate machinery ha2 been c-,g15-:-.c5 b5- the enemy fer. the SIsrDly- o1 fUc.-35LlgE-- .,or the use Of the German s11L,- from overseas. uno5r- these ci-c.l1rstacces 1t would be absurd to give any definite pledge that in cages where the sup plies can b-e nroved to be for the use of the erseIny forces they should be given complete immunity by the sim