The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-02-01
eREAT BRITAIN Wits CONSIDER
SHIP BILL a z HOSTILE

I, SHIP BILL A HOSTILE
~, ACT.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 1.---Iii view of,
statements made 4insSoffical. quarters
and Congress 1t Is necessary to re:
itterate what was said In a Washing
ton dispatch that Secretary Bryan has
received 20 accumulation making the,
fact Enthusiastically clear that the Brit.
fish government would regard the pur.
chase and operation Of interned Ger.
ansyesselsf byt the United States ASIAN,
lunneutrals act. +. ; igjss7 u ). A..
Such a communication, dated Of
January 10. was received by Mr.. Bry-
an and itlisstos be presumed that itiS
still in his office. Developments, here,
however, Indicate that Mr. Bryan has
not seen fit to inform the President or
his associates in the State Department
or Administration leaders in charge
Iof the ship purchase billsof what he
has learned off, the British govern.
!ment's views; J,
AT the White House IL was declared
there is no such Communication. Rep
Iresentatiyet Underwood on the floor OF
the House madeya similar statement.
In fact much comment was caused by
the eagerness Of those most interested
in, the passage of the ship purchase bill
to rush forth with ldenials OF the ex.!
listences of this document. NJ
Mr.. underWood's Statement. 4
Representative. Underwood said:
u sawsthe telegram in the morning.
paper stating that there was a letter,
from Sir Edward Grey protesting
against the purchase OF these ships,
and called up the State Department
and asked IL that statement in the
morning papers was correct, and j am
authorized by the State Department
to deny categorically that the state
Iment is correct. There is no SSsuch
letter there and never has been such
letter there ,(Applausc on the Demo
cratic side.l
We're itnot5 for the well known fact
that Mr.. Bryan often fails to inform
other officials of the State Depart:
lment8 Of communications received the,
statements made by officials regard
the presentation Of British views ion a
wholesale release Of interned belli.s
|gerent ships would be surprising, par.
'ticularly III view Of the fact that the
communication referred to was re-
teeiyed in response to q request OF Sec.
rotary Bryan himself
In other words. the document, the
existence OF which is denied, was re-
'ceived by Mr.! Bryan for the sole irea;
son that he! had asked for it. AS a. re-
suit OF the discussion growing cut 81
the exchanges between the two gov.
ernments In tile Dacia casesa request
was made that the views Of the Britt
ISL government OF the subject be pre-
sented. This was done.
No Mention Of the Bill;
The British communication was
carefully phrased and contains no
mention of the so.called ship purchase
bin This was necessary, as Sir Ed;
ward Grey could hardly be put In tho
position of lodging protest against Il
measure which has not yet passed.
either House Of Congress and which
does hot in terms declare the finten:
tion OF the United States government
to purchase and set on the high seas!
vessels now flying the flag Of Eng.
lands enemies. Just as clearly. as
these circumstances would permit,
however, 1t was iNtimated to Secse.
tary Bryan that he could not expect.
the British .governme emit would silently
lacquiesce in such action being taken,
5ItSwas pointed out that ia sharp dis
Itinction exists In the minds of the
ant hot nv n1-
mercial transaction Of transferring =
vessel from one flag to another, and
Etheggeneral release OF number of In
termed belligerent ships. The latter
case would, it was pointed out bear
anfintimate relation with the question
,offneutfality.
The declaration was made that
should a3neutraf power intervene. to
relieve oneh Of the belligerents from
THE consequences Of the military ac5
5tion ofifthe other belligerent such Ia:
iteryentionl would be in effect not of
IasneutralS character.
I No language could be planned, short
LOT Ia blunt statement. to the effect TINT
Great Britain would regard as an un:
friendly act the purchase and ope era
1tlon sOIt TUE tuleEueuG uetAbslShSS ohiPs
by this governments
NoI Doubt In Situation. IS
5fInsview4 Of the staten ents contained
lin the scomnndnica ion to Mr.. Bryan and
other authoratiye informal lion avail;
able IN Washing on there Is now no
room forFdoubts that Great Britain viii
not be found resting her case on the
technicalities OF international law or
Internal ional conferences should tho
United States governne emit become the
operator Of the interned German YES
Sells.
THE complaint will be made that
this Soyernm ent is intervening to off
lset an advantage which the Allies
have gained through their stiperniacs
1onE the seas and the vessels I'M question
viii und oibtediy be treated as nsniy
iEships whenever encountered on the
high seas.
difficulty Is found here In compre.
,lhending tile course Of the administra.
|ition in first committing itself to the
lship PURCHASE bill programme, then
mai ring an eleventh hour inquiry as TO
iEtfe views OF the British government,
f,,.d xvlfeuN flteEa ware fntind to be