Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-01-03
EAeLAND sets EXAMPLE
which WILSON FOLLOWS
Presidents Note Is Framed on Lines
OF One Sent by Britain to
Russia.
IT'S TERMS NOT so STRONG
Believed That England Must Admit
This Country's Contentious or
Stultify Herself in Eyes OF World.
Interesting Parallel Drawn.
BY JUSTIN McGRArH.

WASHlNGTON, d. c.. january 2.-lt
was learned to-day that the American
note..to Great Britain on the subject
OF opntraband and the seizure and de-
tentton Of American cargoes. was
framed upon the lines OF the CORE
spondence between Great Britain and
Russia during the Russo-Jnpancse War.
The American protest is mild In COM
pRrison with the British complaint.
Great Britain sent not one. but many.
notes to Russia. protesting against
Russian Interference with her COM
merce. and the language in which tho
British objection to Russian interior
ence was ,couched in much more vigor-
Gus language than that which Is en-
ployed In the note which the American
government has sent to Great Britain.
State Department officials. having
familiarized themselves thoroughly
with the British Russian corrcspon-
dence before framing the American
note OF protest, cannot see how Great
Britain can fail to admit the Justice OF
the American contentious without COM
plete stultifcation. Upon this point
the reader will be able to Judge for
himself by making his own compari-
son between the British note TO Rus
sia and American note to Great Britain.
STERN NOTE is SENT
AT BEGINNING OF WAR
About the first matter of controversy
ing the Russo japanese War was the
action of Russia In including in the
list of contraband rice and provisions
.if transported on the account or or
destined for the enemy; ms ueei :,
ration Of Russia led the Marquis OF
Iansdowne British Minister OF For
eign Affairs, to transmit note 10 SIT
&. Hardlnge, British representative Ut
St Petersburg, in which he said:
Ills Majesty's government observes
with great concern that rice and pro-
visions will be treated as unconditionGi
contraband, n step which they regard
as inconsistent with the law and prac-
tice Of nations.
His NIajesty's government does not
contest that. in particular circum-
stances. provisions may acquire con
traband character. as, for instance, II
they should be consigned direct TO tho
army or feet OF n belligerent. or to Il
port where such fleet may be lying. and
II facts should exist raising the pre-
sumption that they are about to be
ployed in victualng the fleet OF the
enemy. In such cases 1t is not denied
that the other belliGerent will be en-
titled to seize the provisions as con-
traband OF war the ground that
they could not afford material assist
ance toward tho carrying on of war
like operations.
His Majesty's government could not,
however admit that IL such provisions
ligerent (even though 1t should he Il
port of naval equipmcnt. they should
therefore be necessarily regarded as
contrRband of war.
Ills Majestys government desires
Z to point out that the decision OF the
prize court In such matters. in order
to he binding neutral States, must
be In accord with recognized rules.
His Majesty's government feel them
selves bound to preserve their rights
~ cot " g. N . "a "a
it Is for the belligercnts to decide that
certain articles classes of articles
are. as matter OF course, and withUu,
reference to considerations referred
10 in the earlier portions OF this dis
patch, to be dealt with as contrahand
of war. regardless of the well-estab
lished rights of neutrals: and His
Matesty's government could not con-
slider themselves bound to recognize as
valid the decision OF any prize court
that violates these rights and was
otherwise not in conformity with the
recognized principles OF international
law"
LANGUAGE SIMILAR TO
THAT or WILSON
In a note sent By the Marquis of
Landdown to Sir G. Hardinge on Au-
gust 10, 1904. the language employed
is so similar toSthat uhed by the Pres
ident In his CONVERSATION with callers
on the day following the publication OF
the American note that II would seem
he must have had II in miHd.
The Lansdowne- Hardinge note says:
1T is evident that unless some steps
are taken by the Russian government
10 restrain their naval authorities from
the 1ndiscriininate molestation OF neu-
trail traders the amount OF CompcnSa-
ton for which the Russian government
VIII find itself liable may assume enor-
nous proportions You shall call the
attention OF tho Russian government to
this aspect Of the question. I, Is ncccs
sary that they should realize that II is
rapidly assuming shape In which II will
be impossible for the government of
this country 10 rest content with the
prospect of obtaining pecuniary com
pensation for the sufferers. The s!tua-
tion which has arisen has indeed be-
come one OF tho utmost gravity
After stnting that His Majcsty's gov
eminent will deal with the subject Of
contraband In separate note Just as
TO the American government now pro
poses to do In the controversy with
Great Britain, the Marquis continues:
For the present time il il only ncces-
sary to call attention 10 the fact that
unprecedented extension of the doc
trine OF contraband OF war exposes "a
the penalties to which all persons car
rying suoh contraband ar" liable the
greater part, II not the whole OF the
large trade now carried on between
Great Britain and the Far East
Russian vessels have been told of
for the purpose OF searching for sucn
contraband not only IN the proximity
of the scene Of war, but all over the
world, selecting for tn. purpose tho
point at which neutral commerce can
be most effectually Intercepted
you should explain 10 tho Russian
government that HIS Majcsty's gov
ernment do not dispute the right OF
belligerent 10 take adequate precau-
tions for preventing cOntraband Of war
in the hitherto accepted sense OF ,he
word. from reaching the enemy. but
they object to. and cannot acuu!es, i.
in the introduction OF new doc.
trine. under which the wcll-under
stood distinction between conditional
and unconditional contraband is alto
gether ignored"
DECLARATION OF POLICY
IN VIGOROUS TERMS