The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson, S.C.) 1914-1917, 1915-02-23
SIR EDWARD GREY, FOREIGN!
SECRETARY, ANNOUNCES
DECISION OF ENGLAND
MAY DECLARE ALL
FOOD CONTRABAND
Es itish Government Cites Ger
n,any's Order Confscating all
Grain and Flour il Empire

LONDON. Feb. %. Sir Edward
Gray. he foreign fccrctary. ann0unc
cu today that the british government
hal decided that the American steam
or Wilhcluina's food cargo should
hc hc!d for Il Prize court.
This declaration appears to make
clear Great I,ritain's purpose to de-
clare all foOdstuffs for Germany con
traband rs well as to forcslad0w 9th
cr rcprisals. The foreign minister
after reviewing the German methods
OF wnrcfare and denouncing them as
violations OF all international usagcs
says:
IF, therefore. his majestys govern
mcnt should hereafter feel constrain-
ell to declare fODdstutfs absolute coll
traEand or To take other measures for
interfering with German trade by
way or rcprlsal5. they confidently ex-
pcct fiint such action Will rot be
challenged on the part OF neutral
slatcS ny appeals to laas and usagcs
OF war whose validity rests on thuir
FORMING All integral part Of that sys-
tcm OF international doctrine, which.
ns whole. thoir enemy frankly boas.s
the Intention to disregard. so long as
such neutral states cannot compel tho
HeIIlaH government to abandon
methods OF warfare which have not
III recent history been regarded an
hav:ng the sanction or either law or
humanity
Great lfitain's reply to the Amcri-
can note OIL the Wilhclmina caso
nendcd today IT, Walter Hines Page
the American ambassador. reads:
INC communication made by tho
United States ambassador In his note
70 Sir Edwnr,l Grey. Of the 10Th in
stant, has been carefully considered
and the following observations are
offered in reply:
AT the time when Hk Majcsty's
government give directions for tho
seizure of tho cargo OF the steamship
Wlihe.mina as cOntraband they had
bofore them the text OF decree made
by the German federal council on tho
2bth or January under article As OF
which all grain und -four imported into
Germany after the 3lst OF January
;waa declared deliverable only TO GER
tain organizations under direct gov
crrment control or to municipal
authorities. The vessel was bound FOR
Hamburg, ono 0f the free cities of tho
GoIman empire. the government OF
which Is vested In the municipality.
Ihis was ono OF tho reasons actuating
H1a Majcsty's government In deciding
TO hriaG tho cargo Of the Wiichlmina
before prize court.
In formation has only now reached
them that by n subsequent decree
uatetl tho sixth OF February tho above
provision In article is Of tho previous
decree was repealed. II would appear
ior INC express purpose of render
ing difficult the anticipated proceed
fngs against the Wilhelmina. The re-
pear was not known TO His Ma1cyty's
government ut the time Of the dcten-
ton or tho cargo. Dr indeed until now.
How far tho ostcnsible cxconlion NJ
imported supnllos from, si.n general,
government monopoly OF nil grain md
hour set up by tho German EGver;-
Ment may affect tho queatIon OF ihc
contraband nature OF tho shlpnnents
seized, Is 4 matter which will most
suitably be investigated by tho prize
court.
1T Is. however. necessary to state
that the German decree is not the
only ground on which tho submission
OF tho cargo of the Wilhelrtna to thr
prize courtIs justified. Tho German
government have In public announce
ments claimed to treat practically
every town or port on tho English
cast coast ns u fortified place and base
OF operations. On tho strength OF
this contention they have subjected
to boEbnrdment the open towns OF
Yarmouth Scarborough and Whitby,
among others. On the same ground
OF neutral vessels sailing for English
ports on the east coast, with cargoes
OF goods on the German list or con
ditional scontraband. have been seized
by German cruisers and brought be-
fore q German prize court.
Again the Dutch vessel Maria, hay-
Ing sailed from California with a car
go Of grain consigned to Dublin and
Belfast, was sunk in September last
by the German cruiser Karlsruhe.
This could only have been Justified II.
among other things. the cargo could
have been proved to bc destined for
the British government or for armed
forces and II a presumption to this eff
feet had been established owing to
Dublin or belfast being considered
fortified places or bases for armed
forces. 'si '% ffla
.The German government cannot
have 1t both ways. II they consider
themselves justified In destroying by
bombardment the lives and property
ot peaceful civil Inhabitants OF En..i
iish open towns and watering places
md In SELLING and sinking ships and
sargoes of conditional contraband ON
their way thither, on the ground that
they ARG consigned to afortified place
or base, q fortiori His Majesty's gov
,ernmentS must be ut liberty to treat
Hamburg which Is An part protected
by Sfortiacat at tho mouth of the
Elbe..5 as O fortified town and base OF
operations. and supply for the pur-
poses OF article 81 OF the Declare
:tlon OF London. Il u .} st2YS ~
IS the owners OF the cargo of the
Wilhelmina desir to question the yal-3
idsty 10 International law OF the ac-