The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-08-16

neutral power does not avail itself of
 the right a ligerent is not privileged to complain, for in doing so it would be in the position of declaring, to the neutral power what is necessary to
 protect that powers own rights.g The imperial and royal government cannot but perceive that a complaint of this
 nature would invite just rebuke.
 With reference to the asserted in | consistency of the course adopted by 1 this government in relation to the ex- portation of arms and ammunition and that followed in not allowing supplies to be taken from its ports to ships of war on the high seas, it is only
 necessary to point out that the prof1i- bition of supplies to ships of war rests upon the principle that 8 neu- tral power must not permit it's ter ritory to become naval base for
 either belligerent. A war ship may,
 under certain restrictions, obtain fuel and supplies in a neutral port once in
 three months. To permit merchant vessels acting as tenders to carry sup plies more often than three months and in unlimited amount would de- feat the purpose of the rule and might
 consti tute the neutral territory a na- val base. furthermore, this govern
 ment is unaware that any Austro- Hun garian ship of war has sought to obtain supplies from a, port in the
 United States, either directly or in- zdlT0GLly. AInlSs SuDJSCL= ndS, however, already been discussed with the inn peria1 German government, to which
 the position of this government was fully set forth December 24, 1914.
 In view Of the positive assertion
 in the statement of the imperial and royal government as to the unanim- ity of the opinions of text writers as to the exportation of contrabandf be ing unnatural, this government has
 caused a careful examination of the principal authorities on international laws to be made. As a result of this examination it has come to the con-
 cIusion that the imperial and royal government has been misled and has inadvertently made an erroneous as- sertion. Less than one-fifth of the
 authorities consulted advocate unre4 servedIy the prohibition of the ex- port of contraband. Several of those who constitute this minority admit that the practice of nations has been
 otherwise. It may not be inoppor- tune to direct particular attention to the declaration of the German au- thority, Paul Einicke, who states that at the beginning of a war belligerents have never rem onstrated against the enactment of prohibitions o4 trade in contra band, but adds that such pro- Fibitions may be considered as viola tions of neutrality, or at least as un- friendly acts, if they are enacted dur ing a war with the purpose to close
 unexpectedly the sources of supply to a party which heretofore had re- lied on them
 The government ofsS the United States dee ms it afnrecessary to extend further at the present time as consid- eration of the statement of the Aus Hungarian government The principles of international law. the
 practice of nations,sthe national safety
 Of the United States and other nations without great military and naval ses- 9abIishnents, the preyention of in creased armies and navies, thet adop- ton of peaceful methods for the a,d-
 justInent of international differences, and finally. neutrality itself, are op- posed to the prohibIrron by a neutral nation of the exportation of arms, arn7 na1lntfon or other munitions of war to Ibe1Iigerent powers during the pro- lgress of the war.