The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-07-28
BRITISH WILL FILE
SUPPLEMENTAL NOTE
Note Already In Hand VIII Not BE
Published Pending Second
Notes Receipt.

Sir Edward Grey cabled Secretary
Lansing today that the British gov
eminent has in preparation another
note TO the United States on the orders
In council and asked that the note de-
livered yesterday be withheld from
publication pending receipt OF the new
communication. Therefore, yesterday s
note will not be published tomorrow
morning, as had been planned.
No indication of the nature of the
Forthcoming note was given in Sir Ed
wards cable and State Department OIL
cials have no intimation. They assume,
however, that 1t is of a supplemental
mature.
!. The development will further delay
dispatch Of the American note to Great
Britain on the same subject. Secre-
tary Lansing had about finished II and
II was to be sent to President Wilson
at Cornishh. N. H., for his approval. II
will not be dispatched until the new
British note has been received and con-
sidered.
Secretary Lansing said the message
from London stated the new note would
be here IN another week.
Regarded a. Significant.
In Official quarters the development
was regarded as highly significant. The
belief prevailed that the last Ameri-
can note to Germany. with it's reference
es to the freedom OF the seas. may
have Influenced Great Britain to place
herself on record as willing to take
lions by the United States to the bel
ligerents.
Sir Edward Grey's request that the
note received yesterday be withheld
was taken TO mean at all events that
a. new situation had arisen or that
some new proposals were about to be
made by Great Britain to alleviate the
effects OF the order In council.
In view of the development secre-
tary Lansing declined to discuss the
British note already IN hand. but took
ton was about to be placed on the con-
traband list by Great Britain. Mr..
Lansing declared there had been no
discussion whatsoever between the
State Department and the British en-
bassy here on the British foreign Office
in London relative TO change in the
non -contraband status OF cotton.
with the sending of the note last
week to Germany on submarine war
fare the general impression given In
officiai quarters was that the protest
to. Great Britain would go forward
within another week. The arrival of
new note from Sir Edward Grey, ar
guing at length In defense OF the So
called blockade under the order In
council, has given the lawyers of the
State Department additional phases OF
the case for examination.
The note which arrived from AM
bassador Page yesterday, does not, it
Ia Understood. reveal any important
deviation in the argument already made
by Great Britain, but lays added en-
phasis on the policy pursued by the
United States In the civil war as a
precedent jussffyfng the British posi-
ton.
Legal experts OF the government indi-
Gated that while the new British note
would require study, II does not. In
their opinion. affect the American POSI-
ton In insisting that non-contraband
goods destined to or from belligerent,
through neutral country. is not sub
iect TO the rules of blockade.
In support OF this the American gov.
ernment stands on the famous MatA-
moros cases In the Civil War. In which
the United States Supreme Court ruled
that the non -contraband portion of q
cargo shipped from England to Mexico
destined to Texas. which was then
blcckaded. must be released, since a
blockade could not be legally operated
against . neutral coast.