The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1915-08-19
Secretary Cites Action OfAIIies
In Supplying England
During BOer War
OLD PLANTS ARE DEVELOPED
NOTE FURTHER INSISTS THAT
UNITED STATES is PURSUING
NEUTRAL COURSE IN
ALL RESPECTS.
Tone of Reply Taken to Mean That
President Would Veto Restrictions
BY Congress - Lansing
Cites Actions.

Western Newspaper Union News Service.
Washington.-Following is the full
text of the American reply to the Aus
tro-Hungarian note regarding exporta-
tion of arms and ammunition from the
United States to the allies:
"The Secretary of State to Ambassa-
dor Penield, Department of State,
Washington. August 12, 1915.
please present a note to the Royal
Foreign Office in reply to its note of
June 20, in the following sense:
"The Government of the United
States has given careful consideration
to the statement of the Imperial and
Royal Government in regard to the
expectation of arms and ammunition
from the United States to the coun-
tries at war with Austria-Hungary and
Germany. The Government of the
United States notes with satisfaction
the recognition by the Imperial and
Royal Government of the undoubted
fact that its attitude with regard to
the expectation of arms and ammuni-
tion from the United States is prompt
ed by its intention to maintain the
strictest neutrality and to conform to
the letter of the provisions of interna-
tional treaties, but is surprised to find
the Imperial and Royal Government
implying that the observance of the
strict principles of the law under the
conditions which have developed in
the present war is insufficient and as
serting that this Government should
go beyond the long-recognized rules
governing such traffic by neutrals and
adopt measure to maintain an attitude
of strict parity with respect to both
belligerent parties
ITO this assertion of an obligation
to change or modify the rules of inter,
national usage on account of special
conditions the Government of the Uni
ted States can not accede. The recog
milton of an obligation Of this sort, un.
known to the international practice of
the past, would impose upon every
neutral nation duty to sit in judg.
ment on the progress of war and to
restrict its commercial intercourse
with a belligerent whose naval sue
cesses prevented the neutral from
trade with the enemy.
"The contention of the Imperial and
Royal Government appears to be that
the advantages gained to a belligerent
by it's superiority on the sea should be
equalized by the neutral powers by
the establishment of system of non
intercourse with the victor. The I'M
perial and Royal Government confines
its comments to arms and ammuni-
tion, but, if the principle for which it
contends is sound, it should apply with
equal force to all articles of contra
band
"A belligerent controlling the high
seas might possess an ample supply
Of arms and ammunition, but be in
want of food and clothing. On the
novel principle that equalization is a
neutral duty, neutral nations would be
obligated to place an embargo on such
articles because one Of the belligerents
could not obtain them through COM
mercial intercourse.
But, If this principle, so strongly
urged by the Imperial and Royal Gov
ernment, should be admitted to obtain
by reason of the superiority of bel
ligerent at sea, ought it not to operate
equally as to belligerent superior on
land? Applying this theory of equali-
zation, a belligerent who lacks the nec-
essary munitions to contend success
fully on land ought to be permitted to
purchase them from neutrals while a
belligerent with an abundance of war
stores or with the power to produce
them should be debarred from such
traffic.
"Manifestly the idea Of strict neu-
trality now advanced by the Imperial
and Royal Government would involve
a neutral nation in mass of perplexi-
ties which would obscure the whole
field of international obligation, pro-
duce economic confusion and deprive
all commerce and industry of legiti-
mate fields of enterprise, already heav-
lily burdened by the unavoidable re-
strictions of war.
''In this connection it is pertinent
to direct the attention of the
Imperial and Royal Government to
the fact that Austria-Hungary and
Germany, particularly the latter, have,
during the years preceding the pres
ent European war, procured a great
surplus of arms and ammunition,
which they sold throughout the world,