The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1915-04-14

ously questioned by the British gov
ernment. And no claim on the part
of Great Britain of any justification
for interfering with these clear rights
of the United States and its citizens
as neutrals could be admitted.
Attitude Of UnneutraGty.
s'To admit it would bo to assume
an attitude of unneutrality toward
the present enemies of Great Britain,
which would be obviously inconsist-
ent with the solemn obligations of
this government in the present cir
cumstances; and for Great Britain to
make such claim would be for her
to abandon and set at ncught the
principles for which she has consist
emily and earnestly contended in 9TH
er times and circumstances.
''The note Of his Majesty's princi-
pal secretary Of state for foreign af-
fairs, which accompanies the order in
council, and which bears the same
date, notifies the government of the
United States of the establishment Of
a blockade which is, if defined by the
terms Of the order in council, to in
clude all the coasts and ports of Ger
many anG every port of possible az
cess to enemy territory. But the
novel and quite unprecedented fea-
ture Of that blockade, if we are to
assume it to be properly so defined,
is that it embraces many neutral
ports and coasts, bars access to them
and subjects all neutral ships seeking
to approach them to the same suspi-
cion that would attach to them were
they bound for the ports of the enc
mics Of Great Britain, and to unusual
risks and penalties.
Invasion Of Rights.
"It is manifest that such 1imita-
tions, risks and liabilities placed upon
the ships of a neutral power on the
high seas, beyond the right of visit
and search and the right to prevent
the shipment of contraband already
referred to, are distinct invasion Of
the sovereign rights Of the nation
whose ships, trade or commerce is in
terfered with.
"The government Of the United
States, is, Of course, not oblivious to
the great changes which have occur
red in the conditions and means Of
naval warfare since the rules hither-
to governing legal blockade were for
mulated. 1t might be ready to cdmit
that the old form Of close blockade,
with it's Gordon of ships in the imme-
diate offing Of the blockaded ports, is
no longer practicable in face Of IN
enemy possessing the means and op-
portunity to make an effective de-
fence by the use of submarines, mines
and air craft, but it can hardly be
maintained that, whatever form of ef-
fective blockade may be made use of
it is impossible to conform at least to
the spirit and principles of the estab-
lished rules Of war.
Extending the Gordon.
eff the necessities of the case
should seem to render it imperative
that the Gordon of blockading YES
sells be extended across the ap-
proaches to any neighboring neutral
| port or country, it would seem clear
that it would still be easily practi-
cable to comply with the we'll recog-
nized and responsible prohibition OF
international law against the block
| aiding of neutral ports by according
free admission and exit 10 all lawful
trade with neutral ports through the
blockading Gordon. This traffic would,
of course, include all outward bound
traffic from the neutral country and
all inward bound traffic to the neu-
tral country, except contraband in
| transit to the enemy. Such procedure
need not conflict in any respect with
the rights of the belligerent main
tanning tho blockade, since the right
would remain with the blockading
vessels to visit and search all ships
either entering or leaving the neu-
trail territory which they were in fact,
but not of right, investing.
England's Reason.
"The government of the United
| States notes that in tho order in
council his Majesty's government give
as their reason for entering upon a
course Of action, which they are
aware is without precedent in modern
warfare, the necessity they conserve
themselves to have been placed un-
der to retaliate upon their enemies
for measures Of similar nature,
which the latter have announced it
their intention to adopt, and which
they have to some extent adopted, but
the government of the United States,
recalling the principles upon which
his Majcsty's government have hith-
erto been ssruphlous to act, inter
prets this as merely reason for GER
tain extraordinary activities on the
part Of his Majesty's naval forces,
and not as an excuse for or prelude
to any unlawful action. If the course
pursued by the present enemies of
, Great Britain should prove to be in
fact tainted by illeeality and disre-
gard Of the principles Of war sane
| toned by enlightened nations, it cen
not be supposed, and this govern
ment does not for moment suppose
that his Majesty's government would
wish the same taint to attach in their
own actions, or would cite such IL
legal acts as in any sense or degree q
! justification for similar practices on
their part insofar as they affect neu-
tral rights.
Uncle Sans Interpretation.
cit is thus that the government OF
the United States interprets the Ian
guage of tho note of his Majesty's
principal secretary Of state for for
eign affairs which accompanies the
copy of the order in council, which
was handed to the ambassador of the
| United States by the government in
| London, and by him transmitted to
| Washington.
"This government notes with graf
ifcation that wide discretion is af-
forded to the prize court in dealing
with the trade of neutrals in such
| manner as may in the circumstances
be deemed just, and that full provi-
sion is made to facilitate claims by
| persons interested in any goods plac-
ed in the custody of the marshal of
the prize court under the order; and
| the effect of the order in council is
to confer certain powers npon the ex-
ecutive officers Of his Iajesty's gov
ernment'; and that the extent to
Z.