The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1915-08-24
CONTRABAND BOND
STAMP ON COTTON
THE ALLIES CONTEND THAT THE
ORDERS in COUNCIL HAVE
NOT BEEN EFFECTIVE.
OFFICIAL WASHINGTON NOTIFIED

That on Account of Failure to Keep
Cotton Out of Germany More Eff
fective Methods Must BE Adopted,
and American Precedents Cited.
WASHIGTON.-T allies inten-
ton to declare cotton contraband has
been communicated unofficially, but
authoritatively to the state depart
ment. The departments advices are
that the decision has been reached
and the delay in making an announce
ment is due to the necessity OF ar
ranging uniform treatment of the
subject by all the allies.
The step has been agreed upon by
Great Britain, France, Russia, Italy
and Belgium, but Japan's attitude has
not been defined, and she may decide
that no action is called for from her
at this time because of the elimina-
ton of the only German colony in the
Far East from the military problem
and the absence of any reason for a
blockade.
Cotton Shipped to Germany.
Ever since the application of the
British orders in council to cotton,
among other American products, the
entente allies have felt that some
more effective and less burdensome
method must be found for dealing
with cotton and preventing its entry
into Germany and Austria. The allies
contend that American cotton ship
pers, in many cases alleged to be
backed by German capital, have been
shipping cotton to Germany through
neutral ports.
Under the orders in council such a
cargo, if captured, merely was taken
into a British port and paid for by
the British government. The allies
contend that under these conditions a
great deal of cotton got through Swe-
den, Denmark, and Holland into Ger
many. From the allies point of view
the orders in council were ineffective
because they obliged the British gov
eminent to buy cotton and at the
same time offered an incentive to
blockade runners.
Pressure Caused Action.
According to the advices reaching
Washington the pressure in England
and France has compelled a change.
The British government originally re-
garded cotton as non-contraband and
expressed a desire to avoid INJECTING
hardship upon Southern planters and
to avoid development of an anti-Brit-
ish feeling in this country.
The change to contraband will be
defended as authorized by interna-
tional law. Great Britain protested
against the American blockade of
outgoing cotton from the South dur
ing the civil war. and had refused TO
recognize it as contraband during the
Russo-Japanese war, but will now
contend that radical changes in the
conditions of warfare since that time
Justify a change in attitude.
U. $. Precedents Cited BY Allies.
The entente powers, according to
advice here, expect that the state de-
partment will resist making cotton
contraband and are preparing to base
their action on American presidents.
The advices reaching here indicate
they intend to argue that both Presi-
dents Lincoln and Johnson, in formal
proclamations issued in April, May
and June in 1865, went on record as
maintaining as contraband of war
materials for the fabrication of am
munition." That cotton has taken
the place of saltpetre, always recog-
nized as absolute contraband in the
manufacture of gun powder will be
held to be an established fact, and by
way of convincing the state depart
ment to that fact attention probably
will be called to letter by Secretary
HAY to w. W. Rockhil, American
minister to China, during the Russo
4 Japanese war, stating that the Amer
lean ordnance officers whom he had
called into consultation regarding the
japanese blockade orders had advis-
ed him that cotton was used in the
manufacture of smokeless powder
and so must properly be regarded as
contraband Of war.
To Limit For Neutrals.
It is expected that some sort of an
arrangement will be proposed by
which the allies will engage to allow
cotton to travel unmolested to neu-
trail countries in quantities in proper
ton to their normal consumption.
What the effect will be on the Amer
lean cotton growers is the subject of
contention. The allied powers are
prepared to argue that it will not be
far-reaching.
The cotton interests have for some
time been alarmed at the prospect
and it is known that the state depa L
ment has been preparing to resist the
new move with every means at the
command of diplomacy.
UNITED STATES WILL SHIP
MONEY BY REGISTERED MAIL