Norwich bulletin., 1915-02-18
GREAT BRITAIN ANSWERS PROTEST
tcontinued from page one.)

not only statistical argument put & further discussion of the legal princt- pies involved. Foremost, however, is the denial of the British government that the depression in American in dustries referred to in the American note was due to the alleged interfer- ence of the British fleet with Ameri- can commerce or the result of any exercise of beiligerent rights
 Since the presentation of the pre- Eminary note, Sir Edward states that he has had further opportunity of examining into the trade statistics of the United States as embodied in the customs returns. in order to see whether the belligerent action of Great Britain has been in any way the cause of the trade depression which describes as existing in the United States and also whether the seizures of vessels or cargoes which have been made by the British navy have inflict- ed any loss on American owners for which our existing machinery provides no means of redress
 Review of British Methods.
 Tn setting out the results of my Investigations writes the British sec retary, T think it well to take the op- rortUnity of giving a general review Of the nlethots empIoye ed by His Maj esty's government to intercept contra band trade with the enemy, of their consistency with the admitted right of belligerent to intercept such trade and also of the extent to which they have epdeavored to meet the repre- sentaticns and complaints from time to time addressed to them on behalf of the United States government.
 'rToNards the close of your note of the 2Sth of December. your excellency described the situation produced by the action Of Great Britain as a pitiful one to the commercial interests of the United States and said that many of the great industries Of the country were suffering because their products were denied long established markets in neutral European countries contiguous to the nations at war.
 Any War Must Retard Commerce.
 Tt is usually true that in these days when trade and finance are cosmopoI- itan any war, particularly a war of any magnitude, must result in a griev- ous disolation Of commerce, in clUding that of the nations which take will realize that in this tremendous struggle, for the outbreak of which Great Britain is in no way responsi- ble, it is impossible for the trade of any country to escape all injury and loss, out for such His 4Iajestys gov ernmert are not to blame.
 'I do not understand the para graph which I have quoted from your excel , leney note as referring to these in- direct consequences of the state of { war, but to the more prOXimate and direct effect of our beIligerent action in dealing with neutral ships and car goes on the high seas. Such action has been limited to vessels on their way to enemy ports or ports in neu- tral countries adjacent to the theatre of war. because it is only through such ports that the enemy introduces the e,r1D +r7, 7, ins on the way
 Only Eight Ships in Prize Court. Sir Edward then points out that only eight out or TI3 ships sailing from the United States for neutral European countries have been placed in the prize courts an6 that only 40 have been Temporarily detained to enable par- ticular consignments of cargo to be discharged for the purpose of prize l court proceedings"
 The note does not 90 into detail as 1 to American ships detained on the 1 high seas or taken to British ports for search. The next paragraph analyses 1 the statistics of exports from the United States and makes the obser- vation that it is therefore clear of the if cotton be excluded the effect of the war has been not to increase, but practically to arrest the decline of American exports which was in pro- ETSSS edElAcI III tie car III ldCl dllN decrease in American experts which is attributed to the war is essentially due to cotton"
 Never Declared Cotton Contraband
 Pointing out that Great Britain has never declared cotton contraband or interfeFed with it's shipment, the note then remarks that imports of cotton to the. United Kingdom fell as heavily as those to the other countries and the HoTyhT France
 Commerce with Neutral Countries.
 The general result it continues, is to show conyincipgly that the naval operations Of GreaI Britain are not the cause ot any Ginlin 6tion in the volume of American exports and that if the commerce of the United States IS in the unfavorable condition which your excellency describes the cause ought, in fairness, to be sought else where than in the activities Of His Majesty's naval forces Moreover, the British communication contends that even though trade between the United States and the allies has diminished from normal, the commerce with neu- tral countries as compared with pre- vious years has been maintained and the inference may fairly be drawn" that a substantial part of this. trade was in fact intended for the eTgealy countries, going through neutral ports by routes to which 1t was previously unaccustomed.
 Taking up souae cf the "ircorreni- euces to which this great WAT is eX- posing the commerce or al neutral countries the note Joints out that undoubtedly the tseriouS shortage in shipping available for ocean transport and the conseqnuentisi result of eH- cessive f1eiehts' have had rlucil to do with the situation, HUt z. denial is entered that Great Bs.itsIi.i'S activity has brought about tnis shortsge. for it is added that only ucE neutral ves- seIs are awaiting adjudication in prize court Great Britain declares that sl1e too is suffering from the shortage of shipping and 2 rise in freight as acutely if not more than other na- tions' and has taken every step con sistent with belligerent interests to increase the t5Tnay available for the transportation of se5-corne commerce.
 The hope is expressed that the United States will rralize that the de- te1tion of neutral shios bv tho allies has not contributed neayiE so much to the shortage Of shipping "as has the destruction of lisHitrsl vessels by submarine n2ines indiscriCainataly laid by the enemy on the high seas many miles from the coast ic the track 1f merchant vessels.
 25 Neutral Ships Destroyed by Mines.
 '.JT17 til now continues the note