Cut Bank pioneer press. [volume] (Cut Bank, Mont.) 1909-current, 1915-11-12
COMMUNICATION COVERS BRIT
ISH INTERFERENCE WITH
TRADE SINCE BEGINNING
OF EUROPEAN WAR.
U. S. CANNOT SUBMIT TO
CURTAILMENT OF RIGHTS
Insists That Relations Between This
Country and Great Britain Be Gov
erned by Rules of international
Conduct and Not by Policy
of Expediency.

washington, NOV. y. - The United
States in its latest note to Great Brit
tain just made public here, covering
exhaustively British interference with
American trade since the beginning of
the European war, declares that the
so-called blockade instituted by the
Allies against enemy countries on
March ii is ineffective, illegal and
indefensible." Notice is served that
n American government cannot
submit to the curtailment of its neu-
trail rights" and it cannot with COM
placence suffer further subordination
OF its rights and interests"
Ambassador Page, to whom the note
was sent by special messenger for de-
livery to the London foreign office was
instructed by Secretary Lansing ito
impress most earnestly" upon the
British government that the United
States must insist that the relations
between it and his majesty's govern
ment be governed, not by a policy of
expediency but by those established
rules Of international conduct to
which Great Britain in the past has
held the United States to account,
when the latter nation was a bellig-
erent engaged in a struggle for ma
tional existence
Champions Neutral Rights.
Declaring the United States "un-
hesitatingly assumes the task of
championing the integrity of neutral
rights, the note proclaims that the
American government will devote its
energies to the task, exercising al
ways an impartial attitude.
The body of the note Is divided into
35 points, dealing with all phases of
the c~ontraband question, seizures and
detentions, prior to, as well as after,
the so-called blockade was instituted,
and announces that a separate COM
munication will be sent soon, dealing
particularly with the "propriety and
right of the British government to in
clude in their list of ~contraband of
war certain articles which have been
so included"
British Methods Not Justified.
In conclusion, after an argument on
the law and facts, Secretary Lansing
says:
Il believe 1t has been c~onclusively
shown that the methods sought to be
employed by Great Britain to obtain
and use evidence of enemy destina-
tion of cargoes bound for neutral ports
and to impose a contraband character
upon such cargoes are without justif-
cation; that the blockade, upon which
such methods are partly founded, is
ineffective, Illegal and ~indefensible;
that the judicial procedure offered as
a means of reparation for an interna-
tional injury is inherently defective
for the purpose; and that in many
cases jurisdiction is asserted in viola
ton of the law of nations. The Unit
ed States therefore cannot submit to
the curtailment of its neutral rights
by these measures which are admit
teddy retaliatory and therefore illegal,
in conception and in nature, and in
tended to punish the enemies Of Great
Britain for alleged illegalities on their
part. The United States might not
be in a position to object to them if
Its interests and the interests of all
neutrals were unaffected by them,
but, being affected, 1t cannot with
c~omplacence suffer further subordina-
tion of it's rights and interests to the
plea that the exceptional geographic
position Of the enemies of Great Brit
ain require or justify oppressive and
illegal practices.
U. S. Cites Precedent.
"The government of the United
States desires, therefore, to impress
most earnestly upon his majesty's gov
eminent that it must insist that the
relations between it and his majesty's
government be governed, not by a
policy of expediency, but by those es-
tablished rules of international con-
duct upon which Great Britain in the
past has held the United States to &C
count when the latter nation was a
belligerent engaged in a struggle for
national existence. It is of the high
est Importance to neutrals not only Of
the present day, but of the future
that the principles of international
right be maintained unimpaired.