Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1915-02-20

! whose validity rests on their FORMING
! an integral part OF that system OF IN
ternational doctrine which as whoie'
their enemy frankly boasts the inten-
J ton 20 disregard so long as such neu-
trail states cannot compel the German
: government to abandon methods OF
warfare which have not In recent his
tory been regarded as having the
sanction of either law or humanity"
Full Text Of Note.
Great Britains reply TO the Ameri-
can note on the Wilhelmina case,
which was handed today TO Walter
Hines Page. the American ambassa-
dor, follows:
The communication By the Unit
ed States ambassador in his note to
Sir Edward Grey OF the 9Th inst.
has been carefully considered and the
Following observations are offered in
reply:
"At the time when his majesty's
government gave directions for the
seizure OF the cargo Of the steamship
Wilhelmina as contraband, they had
before them the text 0f q decree
made by the German federal council
on the 25th of January under Article
IS, of which all grain and -four i'm
ported into Germany after the 3lst
Of January was declared deliverable
only on certain conditions under dl-
rect government control or munich
pal authorities. The vessel was bound
for Hamburg, one Of the free cities
OF the German empire. the govern
nent of which is vested IN the mu-
nicipality. This was one of the rea-
sons actuatinR his maiesty's govern
mcnt In deciding to brnr the cargo
of the WflhRIfpinu hpfnFp n nIiZe
court.
Repeal of Specific Decree.
Information has only now reach
ed them that by a subsequent decree,
dated the 9th of February, the above
provision in Article i5 Of the previous
decree was repealed 1t would appear,
for the express purpose of rendering
difficult the anticipated proceedings
against the Wilhelmna. The repeal
was not known TO his maiesty's gov
ornmcnt at the time Of detention OF
cargo, or indeed until now. How far
the ostensible exception Of imported
supplies from the general govern
ment monopoly of all grain and -four
set up by the German government
may affect the question of the con-
traband nature Of the shipments
seized, is a matter which VIII most
suitably be investigated by the prize
court
ut is, however, necessary to state
that the German decree Is not the
only ground on which the submission
of the cargo of the Wilhelmina to
the prize court is justified. The Ger |
man government has, in public an
nouncements, claimed to treat prac-
tically every town or port on the Eng
lish east coast as a fortified place !
and base of operations. on the /
strength of this contention they have /
subjected to bombardment the open
towns of Yarmouth, scarborough
and Whitby among others. On the
same ground a number OF neutral /
vessels sailing for English ports on 4
the east coast with cargoes of goods
on the German list of conditional
contraband, have been seized by II
German cruisers and brought before
a German prize court.
Sinking of Dutch Vessel.
again, the Dutch vessel Maria,
having sailed from California with 4
cargo of grain consigned to Dublin
and Belfast, was sunk in September
last, by the German cruiser karls-
ruhe. This could only have been JUS
tilted If, among other things, the
cargo could have been proved TO nc
destined for the British government
or for armed forces and II presump-
ton TO this effect had been established |
owing to Dublin or Belfast being con-
sidered fortified places or bases for |
armed forces.
"rhe German government cannot |
have IL both ways VI they consider |
themselves justified in destroying by I
hombardment the lives and property |
of the peaceful civil inhabitants OF l
English open towns and watering 1
places and In Selling and sinking |
ships and cargoes of conditional con-
traband on their way thither, on the
ground that they are consigned TO a
fortified place or base, fortiori his
maiesty's government must be at IL
bertv to treat Hamburg, which is in
part protected by Notifications at
the mouth of the Elbe, as fortified
town and base OF operations and sup
ply for the purposes Of Article "a
of the declaration of London.
Every Opportunity to Owners.
"If the owners of the cargo of the
Wilhelmina desire to question the va
lidity in international law OF the ac-
ton taken by order OF his majesty
they will have every OPP
of establishing their case
i'm due course before the prize court,
and his maiesty's government would,
i'm this connection, recall the atten-
ton of the United States government
10 the considerations put forward in
sir Edward Greys note TO Mr.. Pages
note Of the 10th instant, as to the
propriety of awaiting the result OF
prize court proceedings before diplo- n
matte action Is initiated Ii VIII be re-