The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1915-08-04
FOUR NOTES
NOW BEFORE
SEC. LANSING
BRITISH DEFEND THE RIGHT TO
CLOSE NEUTRAL PORTS - PRE-.
CEDENTS OF INTERNATIONAL
LAW.

Washington, Aug. 2.-Three notes
from Great Britain and one from Ger
many, all dealing with the CONNER
cial rights of neutral nations in war
time, were before Secretary Lansing
tonight. Arrangements are being
made for their publication simultan.
eously in Europe and America in ac-
cordance with diplomatic etiquette.
The British notes probably will be
given out for publication for Wed.
nesday and the German note for the
following day. The first British note
is .. long communication defending
the allies efforts to suppress trade
between their enemies and neutral
countries even by the stoppage of abb
normal commerce through the neutral
countries of Europe adjacent to the
Teutonc allies. Precedents of inter
national law established by the United
States government itself during the
civil war and especially in the prac-
tical blockade of the Bahamas in or
der to cut off commerce with the Con
federate states are revived to support
this assertion of right There are
citations of decisions by the supreme
court of the United States bearing
on the same point, such as the cele-
brated SpringhOl, case. Other decis.
ions, such as that in the Matamoros
case, which appeared to conflict with
this doctrine, are held inapplicable by
reason of a radical difference of gov
erning conditions.
Meets Objections of U. S.
The note has been long in prepar.
alton and was intended to meet the
objection of the United States that
previous British notes had dealt only
with special cases of seizures and de-
tentions of ships and cargoes under
conditions that seemed to justify the
British action, falling to answer the
American contentious that the whole
process of interference with neutral
commerce was in violation of inter
national law. After it had been dis
patched to Washington new condi-
tons arose that led the British gov
ernment to amplfy its argument. One
of these new conditions was strong
protest by the state department
against seizure cf the American ship
Neches, from Rotterdam for New York
with Belgian and British goods.
British activities previously had
been confined principally to holding
up cargoes from America, ostensibly
found for neutral countries but al
legged by the British to be actually
destined for Germany or Austria. The
Neches case made necessary a de-
fense of the allies right to cut off
Germany's export trade and the finan-
cial benefit from that business.
The second note deals with this
issue and is understood to set up the
contention that an actual blockade of
the North sea exists. and that regard
less of the British orders in council
there is an Inherent right in the
blockading powers under international
law to suppress traffic of this kind.
While the controversy is proceed,
ing unofficial efforts are being made
for the American market goods now
at Rotterdam by proving Belgian ori-
gin and American ownership.
The last note Of the series is a
reply to the American caveat of July
Il, saying the United States would be
governed only by the principles of
international law in dealing with de-
tentions of American ships and goods
and would not recognize the orders
in council. The British foreign office
holds the orde~s in council comply
with the spirit Of international law,
although they make a new applica-
ton of these principles to suit the
new conditions developed in the war.
British prize court proceedings, where
in the magistrates have assumed that
the orders in council were in con
formity with international law provok-
ed the American communication. The
British contend t1at where interna-
tional issues were pending before the
United States court that fact has
been recognized by the London gov
ernment as a reason for deferring dip