The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-04-22
MUNITION D M B A RGO WOULD BE A DIRECT 1
 VIOLATION OF UNITED STATES NEUTRALITY
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to the course pursued by the govern lnent of the United States with regard to interferences with trade from this coun- try such as the government of Great Britain have attempted, as intended merely to illustrate more fully the situa- ton to which you desire to call our att tention, if not as an invitation to discuss that course. Your excellency's long ex- perience in international affairs will have suggested to you that the relations of the two governments with one another cannot wisely be made a subject or dfs- cussion with a third government. which cannot be fully informed as to the facts and which cannot be fully cognzant of the reasons for the course pursued I be- heve, however, that l am justified in assuming that what you desire to call forth in frank statement of the posi- ton of this government in regard to it's obligations as a neutral power The gen eral attitude and course of policy of this government in the maintenance of it's neu- trality l am particularly anxious that your excellency should see in their true light.
 T had hoped that this governments po- sitior in these respects had been made abundantly clear, but I am of course perfectly willing to state it again. This seems to me, and more necessary and de- sirable because, I regret to say the lan- guage which your excellency employs in your memorandum is susceptible of being construed as impugning the good faith of the United States In the performance of its duties as neutral. I take it for granted that no such implication was in- tended but it is so evident that your excellercy is laboring under certain false impressions that l cannot be too explicit in setting forth the facts as they are, when fully reviewed and comprehended.
 Tn the first place, this government ha3 at no time and in no manner yielded any one of it's rights as a neutral to any one of the present belligerents. It has acknowledged. as a matter of course, the right of visit and search and the right to apply the rules of contraband of war to articles of commerce. It has, indeed. insisted upon the use of visit and search as an absolutely necessary safeguard against mistaking neutral vessels for ves- sels owned by an enemy and against mis- taking legal cargoes for illegal. It has admitted also the right of blockade if actually exercised and effectively main- tained. These are merely the well-known limita tions which war places upon neu- tral commerce on the high seas. But nothing beyond these has it conceded. call your excellency's attention to this notwithstanding it is already known to the world as consequence of the publica- tion of our correspondence in regard to these matters with several of the belliger- ent na tions because I cannot assume that you have official cognizance of it.
 Asked Mutual Concessions
 "In the second place this government attempted to secure from the German and British governments mutual conces- sions with regard to the measures those governm respectively adopted for the interruption of trade on the high seas. This it did. not of right, but merely as exercising the privilege of a sincere friend Of both parties and as indicating it's i'm partial good will The attempt was un- successful: but l regret that your ex- celency did not deem 1t worthy of men, ton ir modification of the impressions you expressed. We had hoped that this act on our part had shown our spirit in these times of distressing war as oui diploma tic correspondence had shown oui steadfast refusal to acknowledge the right of any jbelligerent to alter the accepted rules of war at insofar they af- feet the rights and interests of neutrals
 '.In the third place, I note with sincere regret that, in discussing the sale and ex portation of arms by citizens of the United States to the enemies of Germany, your excellency seems to be under the impress sion that it was within the choice of the eovernment- of the United States, not withstanding its professed neutrality anc its diligent efforts to maintain it in other particulars to inhibit this trade, and that is failure to do so manifested an unfair attitude toward Germany This govern ment holds, as believe your excoliency is