The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1915-09-08
EYES ON ENGLAND
ADMINISTRATION TURNS At
TENTION TO BLOCKADE

WILL take MATTER Up
Government Views Concessions as
Sap to American People-Blockade
is Illegal and Not Enforced-Pro-
test is Going to be Sent at Early
Date.
For the first time in almost six
months the Washington adminiStra-
ton is looking toward Berlin with
more friendly eyes than toward Lon
don. The German situation is ended,
in the opinion of well informed Off
cials, and President Wilson will now
turn his attention toward London, in
an attempt to compel the British
navy to return to the practices sane
toned by international law.
The final touches have been put
upon the note containing the ad-
ministration's demands that Great
Britain change it's methods of de-
stroying Americas commerce with
Germany. just as soon as the state
department receives positive aSsur-
ances from Berlin that the German
government is sincere in its purpose
of changing its submarine warfare
system, the document will be put on
the cable for London.
President Wilson and Secretary of
State Lansing appear to be satisfied
that Germany is sincere in her an
nouncement that she intends to put
an end to the killing of neutrals On
the high seas and to make amends,
as far as it is possible, for the deaths
which have resulted already from
Submarine attacks upon undefended
merchantmen.
Little attempt is made in admins
tration circles to conceal the feeling
that exists in quarters close to the
White House that President Wilson
has won a great victory as result
of the elimination of the German
situation. Officials insist that the
president has outplayed the German
foreign office on the diplomatic chess
board and that the soreness now eX-
listing between the two countries will
pass off as rapidly as the German
people realize the error of their sub
marine system.
The so-called concessions which
were announced by the British am
bassador, when it became known that
American purchases contracted for IN
Germany before March 10 might
come out of the country irrespective
of whether they had been paid for,
did not interest the state department
greatly.
Officials were inclined to minimize
the importance of the British govern
ment's action. Some of them called
attention to the fact that the an
nouncement carried out a promise
which was. made several months ago
and promptly broken by the British
government.
Ranking officials of the state de-
partment stated that the British an
nouncement has no bearing whatever
lpon the major questions at issue
between the two governments. Iney
called attention to the fact that the
negotiations which led to the con
cessions" were between the British
authorities and individual Amerl-
cans, and that this government was
not party to them.
There appeared to be a general
impression among well informed
Diplomats that the British conces-
sions,' were offered at this particular
time as ''sop" to public opinion In
the United States, in the hope that
the public might be misguided into
the belief that the offer represented
a matter of great moment to this
government.
AS a matter of fact, officials point
ed out, the amount of products AFFECT
ed by the British action are OF almost
infiniteessimal importance compared
to the bulk of American trade that
has been held up By British cruisers,
and American commerce that mas
been destroyed as result of the en-
forcement of the Orders in Council.
The American note. which will be
sent to London, will be based upon
two major contentious:
1. That Great Britain is not main
tanning a bona fide blockade of Ger
MANY and that no such blockade can
exist until the ports facing the Baltic
Sea are blockaded. This, it is said IN
official circles, is physically impossl-
BILE until the British navy carries out
Winston Churchill's boast to dig the
German fleet out like rats and de-
stroy it.
2. That Great Britain has no right
to interfere with Americas commerce
with neutral ports-which she is now
blockading- ng-unless she has evidence
to establish the fact that carSoes
destined for these ports are actually
to be transshipped to Germany and
that the American shippers are party
to such agreement.
The mere fact that American pro-
ducts, shipped to neutral country
in good faith, are later purchased
and shipped across the border into
Germany, will not suffice to satisfy
this government that Great Britain
has a right to hold them up on the
high seas upon the assumption that
they may enter into such commerce.
CANALS CAPACITY AMPLE