The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1915-11-10
BLOCKADE ILLEGAL
u. s. SAYS ENGLAND MUST RE-
SPECT NEUTRAL RIGHTS
AMERICA Cannot SUBMIT

Long Expected Note is Made Public
at Washington - Complains OF
Losses From OBTAINING Ships
Contests Selling and Holding OF
Vessels on Conjectural Suspicious
The United States, in its latest
note to Great Britain, made public at
Washington Sunday, covering ex-
haustively British interference with
American trade since the beginning
Of the European war declares that
the so called blockade instituted by
the Allies against enemp countries on
March II is ineffective, illegal and
indefensible.'
Notice IS served that the American
government "can not submit to the
curtailment OF its neutral rights,
and it can not with complacence
suffer further subordination OF its
rights and interests"
Ambassador Page, by whom the
note was sent by special messenger
for delivery to the London foreign
office, was instructed by Secretary
Lansing ''to impress most earnestly
upon the British government that the
United States stmuSt insist that the
relations between it and his Majesty S
government be governed, not by a
policy Of expediency, but by those es-
tablished rules Of international con-
duct to which Great Britain IN the
past has held the Snited States to
account when the latter nation was
belligerent engaged in a struggle for
national existence"
Declaring the United States Gun
hesitatingly assumes" the task OF
championing the integrity Of neutral
rights, the note proclaims that the
American government will devote its
energies to the task, exercising al
ways an impartial attitude.
The note, nearly $4,000 words IN
length, was made public by agree
ment between the state department
and the British foreign office. It
carries with it Voluminous appen-
dix. giving the text Of American naval
instructions issued in 1852, and a
summary and table showing hundreds
of vessels detained by British author
tiles since the beginning OF the pres
ent war.
The body of the note is divided
into thirty-fve points, dealing with
all phases Of the contraband ques-
ton, seizures and detentions, prior
to, as well as after, the so-calied
blockade was instituted, and an
nounces that separate communlca-
ton will be sent soon dealing par
ticularIy with the s'proprietay and
right OF the British government to
include in their list Of contraband OF
war certain articles which have been
so included"
In conclusion, after an argument
on the law and facts, Secretary Lam
sing says:
81 believe it has been conclu-
sively shown
"That the methods sought to be
employed by Great Britain to OBJ
tain and use evidence Of enemy
destination of cargoes bound for
neutral ports and to impose a con-
traband character upon such car
goes are without justification;
ln1L C1lC DAOChS11Cs 0SoA "
such methods are partly founded
is ineffective, Illegal and unde-
fensible;
saThat the judicial procedure Of
fered as means Of reparaSion Tor
an international injury is inherent
Iy defective for the purpose, and
"That in many cases Jurisdiction
is asserted In violation OF the law
Of nations.
1.-THE United States, therefore, can
not submit to the curtailmenr OF It's
neutral rights by these measures
which are admitted retaliatory, and,
therefore, illegal, in conception and
in nature, and intended to punish the
enemies Of Great Britain for alleged
illegalities on their part.
"The United States might not be IN
a position to object to them If its IN
terests and the interests Of all neu-
trails were unaffected by them, but
being affected, it can not with COM
placence suffer further subordlnatlon
OF it's rights and interests to the plea
that the exceptional geographical po-
sition of the enemies OF Great Brl-
tain require or justify oppressive and
Illegal practices.
''The government Of the United
States desires, therefore. to impress
most earnestly upon his Maiesty's
government that it must insist that
the relations between it and his Ma
iesty's government is governed, not
by a policy of expediency, but by
those established rules of interna-
tional conduct upon which Great Brl-
tain in the past has held the United
States to account when the latter was
a belngerent engaged in a struggle
for national existence. It IS OF tne
highest importance to neutrais no
only of the present day, but or tn'
future, that the principles Of !nterra
tional right be maintained unimpalr
ed.
.shis task of championing the in
tegrity Of neutral rights, which
have received the sanction OF the
civilized world, against the lawieSs
conduct OF belHgerents arising out
of the bitterness of the great con-
flict which is now wasting the
countries of Europe, the United
States unhesitatingly assumes, and
to the accomplishment OF that task
it Will devote its energies, eSecclS-
ing always that impartiahty which
from the outbreak of the war it
has sought to exercise in its rela-
tions with the warning nations"
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