, 1915-02-20

States All opportunity to certify to this. re-
garding imports from the United States, by
its own inspectors. 1t declares th.t there
fore England has no ground for obstructiug
the United States trade, aud concludes by
expressing the firm hope that the American
Government will stand upon its rights. This
Note consists of about 500 words, or say one
third of u newspaper column.
Censored at Jamaica.)
London, Feb. 19th.-The Times en-
phasizes the concluding sentence of Sir Ed
ward Grey's Note to the United States, as
expressing the British position.
1t regards the reply as excellent IN mat
ter and manner, and thinks it will go far to
remove the doubts regarding Englands con-
duet ncloss the Atlantic. The Note, it says, is Il
powerful defence of the British position
founded upon those arguments of law and
fact which appeal with peculiar force to
American minds as they do to our own, and
it came appositely on the day when Ger
many boasts that she will trample all law
and all custom of the seas under her feet.
The DAILY News emphasizes the passage
recalling Prince Bismarek's speech at Kiel,
because it appears from the recent interview
between the Unit ed States naval Attach6 at
Berlin and Admiral Behncke that Germany
was contemplating an offer to the United
States in violation of Bismarcks provisions,
The reply, it says, contains a clear threat that II
theGerman submarines do what they threaten,
the law with regard tocontraband fOOdstutfs
will be reconsidered by this country, that is,
Europe is reeling into barbarism. The fault,
it declares, is not ours, but the position Of
the Washington Government is no easier
for that.
The Morning Post" approves Of the Note
nevertheless it thinks that the document
records wasted opportunities between Au-
gust and February. 1t adduces convinc-
ing figures to show that Great Britain
allowed enormou quantities of provis-
ions to pass into Germany, and it proves
that the United States created a great
trade with the neutral nations adjoining
Germany, since the war began, and that the
effect Of the trade had been to nourish and
snprort the enemy. This demonstration, it
saws. NAV be welcome to the American mer-
chants who have tbriven by the traffic, but
how does it strike British subjects who feel
themselves engaged in a life and death stru9-
gle and looked to the navy for an effective
blockade of Germany.
The "New York Tribune" says the British
Note is entirely reasonable and friendly and
that the two Governments have no differen-
ces in principle. The United States has it.
self set many precedents, which Great Bril-
tain is now following, in treating as contra
band goods going through neutral territory
to a belligerent. In the British case we are
dealing with a Power which believes that
questions affecting neutral rights can be set
tied by International Law.
The New York World" thinks Englond's
action unavoidable, after the German decree
regarding foodstuffs, all of which are subject
to rtquisitiou for military uses and none can
enter the country which do not become sub
iect directly or indirectly to military uses.
If the British Government might otherwise
have been hardly pressed to square the clas-
s~ifcation of food for Germany as contraband
with it's own record as presented in tie re-
cent American protest, it has been kindly
nAuAI from thnt diHicnltv hv nome other than