The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1915-02-02
Dacia to Prize Court.

The case of the Dacia appears to be more
an effort to ascertain whether interned yes
sells Of German ownership can be released
bv transfer of ownership, either real OF oth-
erwise, rather than to provide merchant yes
sells of American registry to handle the COM
MERGE of the world from neutral ports to
neutral ports, including also commerce such
as cotton and foodtsuffs to ports Of a bel
ligerent.
The Dacia is a vessel of the Hamburg
American line, German-owned. She was IN
termed at Port Arthur, Texas, because the
seas were not safe for her to travel with
British naval vessels on the alert for all
prize captures. She has been purchased 70
bv a German-American resident of the Unit
ed States and transferred to American reg
istry. and England protests because that
country believes it is an effort of the enemy
TO get the value of the vessel in money, II
the transaction is real, or to keep the Vessel
in commission, if the transaction is but
friendly agreement between the German
owners and a German sympathizer in TINS
country If the transfer is allowed argues
the British government, it will nix prece-
dent for the transfer, under similar condl-
tions of hundreds of German merchantmen
that are now interned in Mediterranean ports.
Sir Edward Grey has assured the Washing
ton government that Great Britain VIII guar
antee the value or the safety of the cargo
but that the vessel must go before a prize
court, England being willing to test TINS
ease under the rules of war, profting by the
delay that this proceeding will allow, be-
cause it will prevent other merchantmen
similarly interned from Ventur1ng TO sea
after 4 transfer of ownership under cOndl-
tions that are Of questionable validity. The
United States has declared that it is the
duty of the belligerents to discover contra
hand and prevent it falling into the hands
of the enemy, and not the duty of neutraIS'
On the same hypothesis it can be assumed
that it is the duty of belligerents to discover
ships of the enemy that are flying another
flag and prevent them escaping the penal
ties of war; and, as the United States mas
stated in its note regarding eontraband, neu-
trails cannot follow a policy that Will equal
tze the power on the sea that one belliger-
ent has over another by reason of its supe-
rior navy.
England POllCy Is W tcpCuAO IAiO oNNN~'
wares and ships of the enemy if she can
If these can be saved to German ownership
bv being informed during the progress OF the
war England must recognize that rule OF
law, but if these vessels get
to sea their new owners must prove their
right to the property before the prize court
that is recognized in warfare.
The case of the Dacia is not, as some sup
pose. one that will call for physical protest
from the United States Whatever protest
is made will be through diplomatic chan
nels, and it will take its proper place on the
docket" of war claims and will have salts
factory adjudication at the close OF the war.
But England will have in the meantime
served the purpose for which the capture
was made She will have fixed precedent
that will prevent many German-Amer1cans
who are sympathizers with the Father
land" from investing in these informed ships
to help the commerce between Germany and
neutral countries, and to release interned
vessels that now lie idle at the docks IN
MANY parts of the world