The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-08-16
OUR ANSWER TO ENGLAND.
All Nations Alike Must Respect Amer
lean Rights.

y oehoNt N'Fg wv ~ WIN pV WI
dence that all nations alike must respect
American rights.
Germany has been charged with FIVE
or six violations of American rights and
we have protested at the rate of two
notes per month. England has been
guilty of some twenty-five hundred vlo-
l%ations. but that sharp note has not
yet been started OF it's way to London.
John Bull has handed us three notes.
no one of which Is a satisfactory reply
to our communication OF December 26
to the English Government. Why are
We so impatient with Germany and 40
submissive to England?
In a letter to Mr.. Maury in 1916
Jefferson, In giving the causes OF the
war of 1912, said The acts which
produced the war were. first. the i'm
pressment of our citizens by their ships
OF war, and second. the orders OF
council f~orbidding our vessels to trade
with any country but England without
going to England to obtain a special
license" "Forbidding our vessels to
trade with any country but England
Is precisely Engldnd's present policy!
In the present conflict England. in
contravention of all recognized rules OF
war. has undertaken to establish a
paper blockade of the ports OF her
enemies she has interdicled our COM
iAttNo ih ~ "tNll nv pO'he
of Germany she has interfered with
our trade with even the neutral ports
of Europe OF the high seas she has
seized men on our ships, taken them
to- her own ports and held them pris-
oners she compelled the Grccnbricr to
haul down the American flag and fol-
low her cruisers into an English port I:
she has caused the loss of more than
500. 900. 900 to Southern cotton grow
| .Hu cb.a hna NntzAl man .u o VAL
ued at more than $4,000, 600 she has
| unlawfully extended the list of contra
band she expressed her displeasurc at
any attempt on our part to Increase
our merchant marine she prevented
IN American citizen. Mr.. Breitung, from
operating the Dacia as an American
vessel. after he had purchased that ship
and placed her under American regis
try since last August her war vessels
nave been lowering around our largest
harbors she seized the Wilhelmina,
laden with foodstuffs she requires
American cargoes to he certified to by
English Consuls and agents she has
seized more than two thousand AmcrI-
can cargoes since the war began she
Is now holding up IN European ports
goods valued at 500. 0Oo. 900 purchased
by Americans for use In this country,
! and she has, time after time, made
IL duuul'llN uN' Va Nv M 49, 'NT
These are oniy n few OF her Offences,
but they are matters which. with much
propriety, might he embodied In our
next note to London
In return for the treatment we thus
have received from England some OF
our citizens have helped to convert this
country INTO one Of England's main
sources OF supply for carrying on the
war. The United States must be neu-
,..I L.. f,,t 80 a., tn a, ~ - un0 visa ADJ
vice, but the headlines of our daily
press show to what extent some OF our
citizens have followed that counsel. We
are told that our war contracts alreauE
have passed the $1,000. 100000 mark.
england has her duly authorized fiscal
agents in this country and has sent
over here one of her "ablest business
men, all for the avowed purpose OF
turning the United States into a Valu-
able base of war supplies.
1t may be assumed that private clti-
zens OF a neutral nation can lawfully
sell wal supplies to bellieerents but
this rule does not preclude US from cur
failing such shipments II we desire 70
do so. The right to ship cargoes OF this
nature is "A privilege OF the neutral
citizen, and not a right which any
b%elligerent may properly demand mat
the neutral exercise. In Moore's IN
tRTnH1lGIAl al lflb'S
discussing the war tween
Chile, Bolivia and Peru. this statement
nppears: THE Argentine Minister OF
Foreign Affairs, Or. Bernardo de III
goycn, TOOK substantially the following
posltion That while il is generally con-
coded that traffic In arms and munitions
OF war by private persons. without m
tent to aid either belligerent' ls au-
missible as a commercial Transaction
- 49,. .,.l .f RunflrR Vel mar.
when the shipment is made by agents
~ the belligerents on "A scale SO larg.
"a TO convert them into important Aus
tn the war. neutral Governments shoulu
use due diligence to prevent suth 'rai-
nc with one of the belligercnts.
We have, in another respect. been
more considerable OF England's interests
than her treatment Of our commerce
would warrant. Reference is here made
IN o,r Governments official statement
In January last that wireless messages
( and cable messages require dlftereilt
treatment by a neutral Government. IL
il not possible in "A short communica-
ton to show Just why there Is no
ground for such a distinction betwecn
the two kind OF messages. II ~ sum
cient to say hat as a result oil our
ruling England is permitted to receive
cable messages. while Germany Is for-
hidden to receive wireless messages,
our position on this question Is the
more remarkable when II is recalled
that In 1898 the Consul of the United
States at Barbados, British West In
| dies. telegraphcd that the Governor or
the colony. under instructions from the
home Government, controlled the cable
office and would not permit messages
to be sent out relative to the movement
OF warships, whether Spanish or Amer
lean, In the same year tho United
states sought from the British Govern
ment permission for the landlng at
Hongkong OF a new cable from the
| Philippines, TO be constructed by an
American Lord Salisbury re-
piled that the British Government would
not comply with the request OF the
United States. There Is one English au-
thority in support OF our position on
wireless messages. Mr.. Thomas Err
skine Holland is quoted as saying that
"a neutral State is bound to prevent the
use of its territory for the reception
and transmission OF messages by wire
less te~legraphy," and he cites China
az having destroyed the electrical in
stalment placed by the Russians near
Chefoo for the maintenance Of com
munications between Port Arthur and
the outer world, Tit international au-
thority first mentioned. Mr. Moore, in
commenting upon this view says
with regard to tho transmission OF
telegraphic messages by private com
panies regularly engaged In sue busi-
! ference between the use OF wireless
telegraphy and the use Of and lines or
submarine cables"
LET us maintain m imDartiaI peutral-