Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1915-08-06
BRITAIN'S REPLY TO
AMERICAN NOTE
ENGLIsAMEN DECLARE THAT
THE CONTENTION or THE y.
s. rs UNDERSTANDABLE.
Changed Conditions Of warfars. shs
Note Contends. Requires New
Application Of the Principles 81
international Law.

Washington. Britaln's re-
plies to the latest American represent
tations against interference with neu-
trial commerce reject entirely the con
tention that tho orders In council ar@
illegal and Justify the British course
"a being wholly within international
law
'Unsustainahle either In polnt Of
law or upon principles OF International
equity" Il the British reply 20 the
American protest against the block.
AIDE Of neutral porta. with an invita-
tion To submit to International arhi.
trAtion any cases In which tho United
Statea IL dissatisfied wlth tha action
OF British prise eourtA
Great Brltain's reply. embodied In
Two notes one supplemental. vas
made public here and in London sim.
ultaneously, ON August 3. by agree
ment between the two governments.
With the notes was made public also
the correspondence over the Ameri.
can steamer Neches. seized by the
british while en- route from Rotter-
dam to the United states with goods
OF German ORIGIN, All the correspond.
ence aggregates 1000 words
Changed conditions of warfare, tho
British note contends, require new
application Of the principles Of inter.
national law. The advent OF the sub
marine. tho airshtp and the alleged
atrocities BY German troops In Bell
glum are cited az Justification for tho
exercise OF extreme measures. This
blockade ia Justified on the cnntentiou
that the uniyeraally.recoKnlked tunda.
mental principle OF q blockade ID that
belilgcrcnt ID entitled to cut on by
effective means tho Hea,borne COM
merce OF the enemy.
The note reiteratcs that Great Brit.
ain will continue TO apply the orders
complained Of. although not without
every effort 10 avoid embarrassment
TO neutralu. aud observes that the
American statiAtiea show that any
loss In trade with Germany and Aua-
tria has been more than 0verbalnnced
BY the increase ot other Industrial
activities due 20 the war.
In the general reply 10 the Ameri.
can representations against the orders
IN council Sir Edward Grey, the for
eign minister. addressing Ambassador
PAGE. begins by expressing tho hops
that he may be able 10 convince tbs
administration at Washington that
the measures We have announced are
not only reasonable and necessary In
themselves. but constitute no moFa
than an adaptation OF this old ptln,
olpiea Of blockade 10 chs peculiar cir
cnmataneea with which We Afu con
fronted"
II need scarcely dweli.@ wrote Sis
Edward. on lhe obligations Ineum
bent upon the allies To take every
step In their power 10 overcome theft
common enemy In vlsw Of the shock
Ing violations Of tbs recognized rules
and principles Of clyilIzed warfare oI
which hs has besn guilty during ths
preasnt struggle"
SIR Edward then refers 10 atroci
ties In Belgium. poisoning of wells Ia
German Southwest Africa. use o
poisonous gases against the allied
lFoopa In FLANDERS. and HnAlly tn
sinking Of the BuaitAHia. 10 ahov
7 how indispensable II In that us shout,
J iaayB unused no juatlhAbIs metkea o
! defending ourselves.