South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-01-11

/ WASHINGTON. Jan. 1.-THE text
/ OF sir Edward Grey's reply 10 the
/ United States note of Dec. IS, IS as
follows:
Foreign office. Jan. :. 1915.
Your Excellency:
have the honor to acknowledge
/ receipt OF your note OF the 18th Of
| December
1t is being carefully examined and
\ the points raised in il are receiving
| consideration, as the result of which
/ "A reply shall be addressed 10 your
| excellency. dealing in detail with the
issues raised and the points TO which
| the United States government have
] drawn attention. This consideration
and the preparation OF the reply Will
I necessarily require some time and
therefore desire 10 send without fur
/ ther delay some preliminary observa-
I tons which will. l trust. help To clear
the ground and remove some miscon-
| ceptions that seem to exist.
Let me say at once that we entirely
recognize the most friendly spirit re-
ferred 10 by your eXcellency and that
we desire 20 reply in the same spirit
and in the belief that, as your excel
lency states, frankness Will best serve
the continuance of cordial relations
| between the two countries.
ConouFs I'm Principle.
His majesty's government cordially
cOncurs in the principle enunciated by
the government of the United States
that belligerent in dealing with trade
between neutrals should not interfere
unless such interference is necessary
10 protect the belligerents now safe
~ and then only 10 the extent to
which this is necessary. We shall en-
deavor to keep our action within the
limits of this principle on the under
standing that it admits our right to
interfere when such Interference is
not, with bona fide" trade, between
the United States and another neutral
country, but with trade in contraband
destined for the enemy's country and
we are ready whenever our action
may unintentiOnally exceed this prin-
ciple 10 make redress.
We think that much misconception
exists as TO the extent to which we
have in practice interefered with
trade. Your eXcehency's note seems
10 hold his majesty's government re-
sponsible for the present condition of
trade with neutral countries. and it is
stated that through the action of his
majesty's government, the products
OF the great industries of the United
States have been denied long estab
lished markets in European countries
which. though neutral, are contiguous
to the seat of war. Such a result is
far from being the intention of his
majestys government and they would
exceedingly regret that it should be
due to their action.
Figures Are Lacking.
We have been unable to obtain
complete or conclusive figures show
ing what the state of trade with these
neutral countries has been recently
and ! can therefore only ask that
some further consideration should be
given TO the questions where United
States trade with these neutral cOun-
tries has been so seriously affected.
The only figures as TO the total vol
ume of trade that l have seen are
those for the exports from New York
for the month of November, 1914, and
they are as follows. compared with |
the month of November, 1913:
Exports from New York for NOvem- |
Der. 1913. and November, 1914, re-
SpeCtively, are:
Denmark-S55 S.OOO-$7.1O1.O 900. (,
Sweden-$377,00 0-S2, $500
NOrway-S 477, OOO-$2, 318.OOO
Italy-$2,971,OO O-$4,7S1,O 900.
Holland-$4,S 93. OO0-S4, 100000.
1t is true that there may have been
q falling off in cotton exports as to
which New York figures would be no
guide, but his majesty's government |
has been most careful not TO inter- |
fere with cotton and it's place on the
free list has been scrupulOusly main |
tanned
Figures Are Not Conclusive.
We do not wish to lay too much |
stress upon incomplete statistics; the
figures above are not put forward as
conclusive and we are prepared to |
examine any further evidence with |
regard 10 the state of trade with these !
neutral countries which may point to !
a different conclusion, or show that IL !
is the action of his majestys govern
ment in particular and not the exist |
ence of a state of war and consequent |
dimunitiOn of purchasing power and |
shrinkage of trade, which Is respCn- |
sible for adverse efforts upon trade |
with the neutral countries.
That the existence of a state OF war !
on such a scale has had very ad- |
verse effect upon certain great indus |
tries such as cotton is obvious, but 1T |
is submitted that this is due to the
general cause of diminished purchas- |
ing power of such countries as France, |
Germany and the United Kingdom, |
rathef than TO interference with trade
with neutral countries. In the matter |
of cotton il may be recalled that the
British government gave special as |
sistance through the Liverpool cotton |
exchange TO the renewal of transac- |
tons IN the cotton trade OF not only |
the United Kingdom, but of neutral
countries.
Gives Copper Figures.
Your excellency's note refers in par |
ticular 10 the detention Of copper. The |
figures taken from official returns /
for the export of copper from the |
United States for Italy for the months
during which the war mas been in /
progress up to the end of the first
three weeks of December are as fol-
lows:
1g13-15.2O2. 600 lbs.
19l4-36,2S5,O 600 lbs.
Norway Sweden Denmark and /
switzerland are not shown separately \
for the whole period in the United /
states returns. but are included in the
leading "Other Europe" chat is, Eu-
rope. other than the United Kingdom,
Russia. France. Belgium, Austria. Ger
many. Holland and Italy). The cor
responding figures under this heading
are as follows:
1913-7.2I1,0O0 lbs.
1914-35.341. 600 lbs.
Intended for Enemy