Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1915-11-11
FREEDOM Of SEAS
DEMANDED By i. s.
Washington Warns Britain to
Keep Within Law.
BLOCKADE Is INDEFENSIBLE
England Told That America Will No
Longer Submit to Trespass Upon
Its Rights-Must Not Mo-
lest Trade.

lest Trade.
Washington, Nov. 8.-Solemn warn
ing to Great Britain that the United
States will not further submit to the
curtailment Of its neutral rights, which
has been the effect of the allies block
ade Of Germany since March Il, is
contained in the note to Great Britain
made public by the state department.
After declaring that the United
States cannot with complacency SUI
fer further subordination of its rights
and interests" the note serves notice
in the following paragraph that Great
Britain will be held to the enforce
ment Of the letter of international
law:
''The government of the United
States desires to impress most ear
nestly upon his majesty's government
that it must insist that the relations
between it and his majesty's govern
ment be governed, not by policy Of
expediency, but by those established
rules of international conduct upon
which Great Britain in the past has
held the United States to account when
the latter nation was belligerent en-
gagged in struggle for national exist
ence. 1t is of the highest Importance
to neutrals not only Of the present day,
but Of the future, that the principles
of international right be maintained
unimpaired."
Defending Neutral Rights.
That the United States has taken
upon itself the task of defending the
rights Of all neutral nations against
the British program of Selling and
holding up merchant vessels at will is
indicated in this paragraph:
This task of championing the in
tegrity of neutral rights, which have
received the sanction of the civilized
world against the lawless conduct of
belligerents arising out of the bitter
ness Of the great conflict which is now
wasting the countries Of Europe, the
United States unhesitatingly assumes.
and to the accomplishment of that task
it will devote its energies, exercising
always that impartiality which from
the outbreak of the war it has sought
to exercise in its relations with the
warning nations"
The note covers extensively the
subject Of British interference with
American trade since the beginning of
the war and declares the so-calIed
blockade of the allies ineffective, IL
legal and indefensible. The note was
made public by agreement between the
state department and the British for
eign Office and carries with it d volum-
nous appendix, giving the text of
American naval instructions issued in
1862 and summary and table showing
hundreds of vessels detained by Brit
ish authorities since the present war
began.
Deals With Contraband Question.
The note itself is divided into thir-
ty-five points, dealing with all phases
of the, contraband question. seizure
and detentions, and announces that a
separate communication will be sent
soon dealing particularly with the
"propriety and right of the British
government to include in their list of
contraband of war certain articles
which have been so included"
The note is dated October 21 and
acknowledges the British notes of
January Z, February 10, June %, July
%. two on July 81, August Is and the
note verbale of August 6, all relating
to restrictions upon American COM
merce.
After an argument on law and facts,
Secretary Lansing in conclusion says:
Il believe it has been conclusively
shown that the methods sought to be
employed by Great Britain to obtain
and use evidence of enemy destination
of cargoes bound for neutral ports
and to impose a contraband character
upon such cargoes are without justifi-
cation; that the blockade, upon which
such methods are partly founded, is
ineffective, illegal and indefensible;
that the judicial procedure offered as
a means of PREPARATION for an interna-
tional injury is inherently defective
for the purpose; and that in many
cases jurisdiction is asserted in viola
ton of the law of nations.
U. S. Cannot Submit.
THE United States, therefore, can
not submit to the curtailment of its
| neutral rights by these measures,
which are admittedly retaliatory, and
therefore Illegal in conception and in
nature and intended to punish the enc
mics of Great Britain for alleged nie-
! galities on their part. The United
States might not be in a position to
| object to them if it's interests and the
| interests of all neutrals were unaf.
| fected by them, but. being affected. it
cannot with complacence suffer fur,
Their subordination of it's rights and
/ interests to the plea that the excep.
! tional geographic position of the enc
mics of Great Britain requires or JUS
tify oppressive and illegal practices"
Denies British Contention