The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1915-12-01
WOULD Be FRIENDLY
U.S.. WANTS GOOD FELLOWSHIP
OF FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS
TO TAKE BROAD GROUNDS

To TAKE BROAD GROUNDS
Lansing and His Assistants Aim t
Decide Ali Problems in a Lin
With General Friendship-Ques
ton Of Diplomats to be Handled b
Regard to Public Policy.
All questions affecting the statu
of diplomatic consular representa-
tives Of beligerent governments II
the United States will be determined
by the state department on broat
grounds Of policy, with especial ref
erance to the maintenance OF friend
II re. ions with foreign govern
ments.
This has been made known by Sec
retary Lansing, when his attentlor
was drawn to testimony given IN tns
federal court at New York that Capt
Boy-Ed, the German naval attache
furnished funds for an alleged con
spiracy conducted by agents OF the
Hamburg-American Steamship line tc
supply German warships at sea. =,
The secretary made it clear that
though ne had full knowledge OF ths
evidence on which the cases were be-
ing prosecuted in New York, the
state department had not given lts
approval or disapproval to Assistant
District Attorney Woods charges
against Capt. Boyd made in his
opening statement to the court.
Officials at both the departments
Of state and justice explained, how
ever, that there was no controversy
over jurisdiction between the two
branches Of the government. At the
6erartment Of justice it was made
clear that all the evidence in its pos
session had been brought to the at
tenticn OF the state department as
rapidly as gathered, but that action
affecting diplomatic officers immune
from prosecution lay naturally with
in the province Of the state depart
ment.
The position Of Secretary Lansing
Is that diplomatic representatives not
only are immune from criminal pros
ecution, but that nothing that may be
done by the department Of justice N
the development Of other cases BINDS
the state department to ask for with
drawal Of any diplomatic officers.
In the case Of consul generals and
other accredited agents Of foreign
governments, even though they do
not enjoy diplomatic immunity, the
attitude Of the state department IS
that there are important questions OF
policy involved which will guide 1t IN
deciding whether a recall should De
asked for.
In the case Of Capt. Boyd, Sec
retary Lansing's view Is that so far as
he Is able to Judge from the informa-
ton in his possession, the German
naval attache did not violate any law
in supplying funds to obtain coal and
provisions for beIligerent ships at
sea since this in itself is not a crlmI-
nal offence. The secretary declined
however, to indicate what might pc
the attitude Of the department II II
had been proved that Capt. Boy-Ec
had knowledge Of OF directed the al
legged Justification Of manifests and
clearance papers.
Legal proof, however, 1t was point
ed out at the state department. is nol
necessary in deciding whether the
personal acceptabihty Of a foreign
diplomatic officer is terminated. Ac-
ton, it was stated, could be just as
veil based on presumption. Ques-
tons Of policy must be given conslo-
Grafton, however, officials said, be-
cause In endeavoring to supply Ger
man warships at sea Capt. Boy-Ed
would have been acting in compil-
ance with the expressed views OF ms
government to the United States. Al
the time the alleged offences occur,
red no penalty had been provloec
against the provisioning OF oeihger-
emit warships and only in the closing
hours Of the last session OF congress
was such a measure enacted.
Previously the question was e
mooted point between the Unltec
States and Germany. The German
government served notice through
Count yon Bernstorff in note dated
December Is, 1914, that:
.The position taken by the govern
ment Of the United States as TO the
delivery Of coal and other necessarles
to warships Of the belligerent sta IS
constituting a violation or neutrahIs
is. in the opinion Of the Imperial Ger
man government, untenable IN inter
national lew. Only when con-
trahand trade would turn the ports
into bases Of German military opera
tions would the stoppage Of the trace
of those vessels become a duty. Such
perhaps would be the case If the Ger.
mans kept depots in the port, or II
the vessels csiled at the port il regu-
lar voyages on the way to German
naval forces, but it stands to reason
that one vessel occasionally sailing
with coal or supplies for German
warships does not turn neutral port
into a German point Of support con-
trary to neutrality
In answer to this the secretary O.:
state denied that any vessels nae
been refused clearance, as complain
ed by the German ambassador, al
though certain detentions had beer
made to investigate the bona fde
character Of destination and 1nten-
lions of certain vessels leaving port
He addei that the essential idea OF
neutral territory becoming base for
naval operations by belligerent IS
in the. opinion Of this government
"a repeated departure from such ter.
ritory of vessels laden with fuel OF
supplies for belligerent warsnlps al
In commenting on the position o!
the United States, Secretary Lansins
said he had no knowledge that the
vessels concerned in the New iors
cases had repeatedly left American
norts to supply belligerent cruisers OF
commerce raiders.
Hill to Assist in Isenhower Ir1ai
At the request Of Solicitor Henr!