Evening star., 1915-11-08


fective blockade of any Confederate
port. and yet England respected the
blockare which produced such distress
at home rather than aid the Confeder.
acy whose cornerstone was slavery,
the Daily Mail concludes:
Calls Americans just.
THE Americans are a just people
We should ask them to think over
those words and at the same time to
consider whether our submarine block
ade recently instituted in the Baltic
does not already meet most of the diff
ferences raised by President Wilson
The Daily News remarks on the fact
that the note is couched in vigorous,
uncompromisng language paralel1ed In
the American notes to Germany, but
hitherto foreign to the communications
passed between Washington and Lon
don and admits that mistake could
be graver than to underestimate the
seriousness of the contentious ad-
yanced.
Vi Admits Complaint Just.
On point of detail the News recog-
nizes the complaint that American
ships seized are charged port dues and
other exactions is reasonable and says
this should be rectifed. The newspa-
per expresses the belief that Washing
ton will recognize that the recent ac-
tivity of British submarines in the
Baltic materially modifies the conten-
tion that the blockade is ineffective.
On the broad question the Daily News
considers that though it may be I'M
possible to supercede prize courts by
an international court of the first in
stance, there is nothing to prevent the
settlement of the difficulties by the in
stitution of a panel of jurists of GER
tain of the allied and neutral countries.
Raises Disputed Points.
The Times in an editorial this morn
ing says it imagines that American
jurists and diplomatists Will feel that
the note is not altogether worthy the
better traditions of the republic, since
it raises a number of technical points
of disputed international law, but no
where rises to the broad view of the
larger issues involved in the world war
or indicates the statesmans ability to
adapt old principles to novel condi-
-tions.
Proceeding to complain that the
United States relies for preceoents on
the period since 1888, when there was
no maritime warfare of the first order,
and seeks to apply them to the most
terrible struggle that has convulsed
ns the world for ose{ The note as
ing rather of d brief than OF 4 1uds
ment. or even of an argument which
large minded counsel would care to
submit to an intelligent court. Justi-
flying the British procedure of search
ing suspected vessels and referring 10
the complaint that no redress is OBJ
tainab the Times asks:
Did not We suffer grievouSly from
these and kindred injuries in the civil
AFar? Do Americans forget how they
practically wiped out the whole in
1ustry of Lancashire and plunged its
population into dire distress?
Did we complain? Did the victims
themselves complain? No. Their suf-
Ferings We're acute, but they believed
that the north was fighting III the
cause of human liberty and moral
light. and therefore they were patient
Some Reciprocity Expected.
Some reciprocity, it may seem to
Americans as well as to us, might be
expected from Washington in the day
Of our trials - The note wholly
overIooks the activities of British sub
marines in the Baltic. Our position in
-.,he Baltic today is considerably strong
rner than the positions of America on the
Confederate coast when, without pro,
,.test from us, she boldly placed it all
under paper blockade.
We might well be advised now to
cut the knot of these controversies
by proclaimng forthwith a blockade
of all German ports and coasts.
Another point we cannot pass over
is the extravagant character of the
language Of the note We make al
Iowance, however, for the exigencies OF
American domestic politics and attrib-
Ute II to the choice Of adjectives and a
turn of expression not usually found in
formal intercourse between the gov
ernments of great peoples"
Criticises Argumentative Value.
The Daily Chronicle thinks that the
arGumentative value of most of the points
made in the note is not high With regard
to the three hundred ships detained at
kirkwalI, it ventures the opinion that
what will strike most fair-minded people
is the extremely short period for which
most of them were held. which, it adds.
speaks volumes for the British ad-
nniralty's desire 10 deprive America of
any real grievance"
The Chronicle continues: THE purport
of the note is not, Of course, to put a
pistol at our heads, but TO tell US firmly
Zone might almost say harshly-that the
contentious, does not acquiesce in our
policy and Will continue to press strong
protests upon us.
1t points to the continuance of diplo-
matte difficulties between Washington and
Observation-Disclosures which we would say
frankly cannot possibly be diminished
without serious modification of the Ameri-
can attitude. With the American presj-
DENTAL election looming head, such nod-
sfication in Difference to reason and argu-
hInent will be unusually hard for WASH
ington to make, and that is perhaps the
least hopeful elemAnt in the affair."
Difficulty of Problem Appreciated.
The Daily Telegraph asks: rs this
not case in which strict severity is
more likely to be merciful in the long
Gun than too sentimental regard for the
-.highest ethical doctrine? Moreover we
s.Sre happy to think that the large pro-
portion of the American people are
sympathetic toward us and appreciate
the difficulty of our problem. They
would not desire us to surrender one
Got or title of our fixed determine tion
to conquer the enemy, nor would be
spieased to observe signs Of weakness