The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1915-08-04
ENFORCES EMBARGO
ENGLAND TAKES UP DEFENCE
OF NEUTRAL BLOCKADE !.
is IMPORTANT QUESTION
In Preparing Note to the United
States Great Britain Subordinates
Everything to the Question Of
Blockading Neutral Ports to Pre-
vent Reshipment to Germany.

Defense of the right Of a bel1iger-
ent to blockade neutral port
through which an enemy is receiving
supplies, or attempting to market his
own products, is the chief argument
to be made in the supplemental note
Great Britain is preparing in reply to
the American protest against the en-:
forcement Of the order in council.
The original note, received last
Monday, he's been withheld from pub
lication at the request Of Sir Edward
Grey, British foreign minister, pend.
ing the arrival Of the supplemental
communication which is expected
within a week.
All issues other than that Of the.
blockade of neutral ports, it Is learn
ed, will be regarded by the British
government as subsidiary and proper
for later discussion. Upon recogni-5
tion by neutral governments Of the
principle, from the British viewpoint,
depends the ability Of belligerents
which has otherwise established con-
troll of the seas to profit by the enor-s
nous expenditure and sacrifice
which made possible that control. The
matter is all important in the British
view
Two developments no, iscussed in
the original note will be .uken up in
the supplemental communication.
One concerns the American cayeat OF
July II, conveying the notification
that the United States government
would not recognize orders IN council
as substitute for the provisions OF
international law.
The second point arose in connec-
ton with the enforced unloading ON
the London docks Of the cargo of the
American steamer NecheS on June
p. The ship was en- route from
Rotterdam to New York with carr
go of non-contraband, mostly Of Ger
man and Belgian origin. 8
It included several thousand pray
er books, rabbit skins, drugs and
even some cotton. The British gov
ernment asserted the right under its
blockade Of Germany, which also
bars any goods from being exported
the sale Of which might aid Germany
financially.
Because the principal British argu-
,ment is directed to that phase Of the
right OF blockade which affects goods
sought to be introduced into an
enemy's country, it is believed that
the British foreign Office felt it nee
essary to supplement the original
note by an argument extending the
claim to cover the case Of goods ex-
ported from the enemy country
through a neutral port.
Civil war preccdents in regard to
the right of blockade form the chief
basis of the British argument, atten-
ton being called especially to. the
famous Springbok case before the
United States supreme court, level
oping the continuous voyage
theory.
Though this doctrine, which, it is
asserted, justifes a belligerent n
blockading neutral port, was
strongly resisted by European ma
tions, the fact that it was finally ac-
cepted in its entirety by the Alabama
claims arbitration was sufficient to
make it an enduring principle Of In
ternational law, according to the
British view. Therefore, the order
in council, which is believed by; Brit
ish officials to be entirely In accord
with that theory, will continue to be
applied. although with due difference
to the protection of legitimate neu-
tral trade.
Incidentally it is contended by
Great Britain in its communication
that the execution of these orders in
council so far has not resulted in.
any damage>to American trade. Ac-.
cording to the British view, that
trade has waxed enormously large
since the beginning Of the war,
American treasury figures showing
IN increase of S200,00O,000 In e1-
ports during eleven months, while
the American ocean freight has
grown by 744,000 tons.
Significant as indicating the
amount of American goods entering
Germany and Austria, attention is
directed to official statements that
the exports of the United States to
the Netherlands have increased from
s93,00O,00O to s122,00G,000, to
Sweden from s12,000,o00 to s71,-
100000, to Norway from s7,o00,000
to 100000, and to Denmark
from 100000 to s70,000,000.
That America received fair sup
ply OF goods from Germany notwith-
standing the w:r is shown, the Brit
ish government contends, by the fact
that in eight months the imports
from that country 70 the United
States aggregated SS6,000,000, and
it. is also noted that the import Of
dyestuffs from Germany was greater
than the nreYiouS YeIr