Evening star., 1915-11-08
Press. in Comment on Ameri-
can Note, Says Points Are All
Open to Argument.
HOLD WORLD WAR BOUND
TO CAUSE INCONVENIENCE
Life-and- Death Struggle Is Given as
Reason for Existing Conditions.
Surprise Predominates.

LONDON, November 8, II :25
p.m.-Notwithstanding the fore
casts OF the American note to
Great Britain which had been sent
from Washington by correspond
ents OF the British press, surprise
is the predominant tone of the
majority of the British newspapers
in their comment on the document.
The country has been too deeply
wrapped up in the consideration
OF pressing European problems
during the past few weeks to give
much attention to American opin-
ion, and apparently it was not
aware that the treatment OF
American shipping might furnish
ground for a serious controversy
between the two governments.
The American note upon our inter-
ference with neutral trade" says the
Pail Mall Gazette, will be read with
some surprise in this country While
the duty of every power to keep vlgl-
liant guard over the interests of its
own commerce will be freely recog-
nized. it must be felt that the United
States scarcely grapples with the real
tiles of the situation created in the
first place by the fact of war, and in
the second by the criminality of Ger
man practices. In some passages the
note seems to invoke the authority of
international law as if it's problems
could be finally settled for one bel
ligerent without reference to the do
ngs of the other.
That is view utterly inapplicable
in the world of things as they are. 1t
is impossible to deal with questions
arising between the allies and the
United States while ignoring the prac-
tees of Admiral Won Tirpitz and the
changes in policy which they enforced
upon ourselves and our friends
Desire to Reduce Inconvenience.
The Gazette says the British govern
ment has shown a desire to reduce in
convenience to neutral trade to mini
mum. but that it is notorious that the
=
clares, have been adopted by American
shippers exhibit variety and ingenu-
ity demanding the most thorough coun-
ter check.
IF we have been driven to introduce
new precedents into international law
we are only following in the footsteps
of the American government in far less
drastic fashion than the records of the
civil war display" it adds 1t contends
"a ntyif af int n.,l l.,,
superior to the letter. ITO that spirit"
it asserts, I'VE have adhered with the
closest fidelity and with a generosity
to which some fuller recognition from
leading neutral powers would not have
been inappropriate. To resign any por-
tion of our ability to strangle the COM
merce of q pirate enemy out of defer
ence to merely technical argument
would be reasonable alike to our al
lies and to the blood and sacrifice of
our own citizens"
Asks America to Suggest Course.
The Westminster Gazette SAYS:
The American note is a filter SUBJ
ject for argument between EXPERTS
than for controversy between news
papers, but we may ask politely Of
the American government what if
would permit US to do if we may not
proclaim blockade: or bring sus-
pected ships into port for search. or
bring them before a prize court: or
question the imports of one neutral
with another neutral, on suspicion
that they were destined for an enemy
country; or take exceptional measures
OF any Kind against an enemy who has
invented form of warfare which is
unknown to international law and re-
pugnant to humanity"
'fne newspaper contends that behind
the uncertain law of former times lie
broad considerations of equity 1t is
confident, it says that the United
tween the German and the British
practice and whether Great Britain has
made excessive use of her sea power
president Wilson adds the Gazette,
has expressed himself with great
cogency about the action of German
submarines. He is still demanding rep
aration for American citizens done to
death in the Lusitania and other ships
That is all to the good. but the ulti-
mate remedy lies in the proof we alone
can give that these practices are dis
astrouS."
The note. the Gazette concludes.
should remind home critics of the pit
falls between which the foreign office
and the admiralty must pick their way
to assert the rights of the country
without offending neutrals. and of the
danger of presuminS an unqualified
friendship in any quarter.
TIE Evening Standard says that the
United States has been at variance with
both sets of beliigerents and accepted
from Germany a sort of apology which
bore far less similarity to the real
article than our blockade bears to a
blockade which would satisfy even
American diplomatists.
when she disagrees with us in pure
ly technical matters" adds the Stand
ard, ARE we likely to be confronted
with the mailed fist? America is MAX
ing her fortune out of the allies. Re-
membering this and Americas treat
ment of Germany, we have no fear Of
an acute crisis"
Some Inconvenience Inevitable.
The attitude taken by the London
morning papers in commenting on the
note is generally that although the
points raised in the note are all open
to argument, Great Britains position is
that she is engaged in life-and-death
struggle. and therefore has to consider
all questions on the practicable basis Of
winning the war: that such a world war
is bound to carry some inconvenience to
neutrals: but that as far as is possible
and consistent with doing everything in
her power to win the war she is careful
to do as little as possible to injure the
lit,fa nf lie