New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-08-05
U. S. TO REJECT
BRITISH VIEWS
IN QUICK REPLY
Answer to Notes on Block.
ade and Sea Trade Ready
Within Week.
from The Tribune Buresu.l


Washington, Aug. 4.-The State De-
partment's reply to the British note
made public yesterday will be sent TO
London within week, officials said to-
day. As it will first have to be ap-
proved by President Wilson, this is TN
derstood to mean that the answer is
practically completed.
AS the latest British note was dated
July 81, and was received only three
days ago, the inference is that the
United States will send substanti,.l .ly
the note formulated more than six
weeks ago, which reiterates the conten-
tions of March 80 that neutral coasts
cannot legally be blockaded and,
therefore, that non-contraband Ameri-
can commerce with such ports must
not be molested
This inference is supported by state
ments from officials intimately &C
quanted with the governments pro-
cedure. They say the United States
will make in this note one more effort
to bring Great Britain to an appreci-
alton of its point of view, but frankly
confess they see little hope of scco -
plishing it.
The general belief is that the mat
ter will ultimately go before an arbi-
tration tribunal. The two govern
ments are at cross purposes on to
main points, both of which concern
vitally the interests of their nationals.
At Odds on Blockade Legality.
The academic question of the legal
ity of the blockade itself is one on
which no agreement is possible, Of
fcials believe Great Britain main
tains that she is violating no funda-
mental principle in declaring a block
ade of neutral coasts, since her only
objective is enemy commerce.
The propriety OF passing prize court
decisions on British Orders in Council
is another moot point, the United
States contendng that such orders
cannot be regarded as part of inter
, national law and, therefore, inadmissi-
Bile as law before prize courts, while
Great Britain holds that prize courts
are subject 10 the instructions of their
own sovereign" referring to Ameri-
can precedents for this ruling.
1t is understood that the United
States will offer considerable new ma
terlal in the way of precede. IS and
cases to controvert the British argu-
ment and will try to adjust the matter
by diplomatic means.
In the caveat issued TO Great Brit
ain on July Il the United States an
nounced that it would not be bound by
the decisions of the British prize
courts based on the Orders in Coun-
ell, but would insist on settlement
of the cases without reference 20 any
municipal law of the British Empire
It is the purpose of the government
To insist on this principle in its COM
ing note.
Would Yield One Point.
Some officials believe that this gov
ernment should yield the point Of
prize court jurisdiction and should
permit the English courts to try the
cases in their own way before enter
ing protests. IL is pointed out that
the United States has always insisted
on this procedure in the case Of for
eign governments, notably in the Cali
fornia land cases which Japan desired
to protest. Japan was asked TO await
the decision Of the Supreme Court.
More recently the Montenegrin gov
ernment protested, through the Rus
sian Ambassador, the arrest of GER
tain Montenegrins charged with re-
cruiting in violation o. American neu-
ttality. Russia was asked 70 with
Continued on page 2. column 4