The weekly soliphone., 1915-11-12

are parity lOuuuou, is ineffective,
illegal and indefensible; that the jul
dicial procedure offered as means
of reparation for an international
injury is inherently defective for
the purpose; and that in many cases
| Jurisdiction is asserted in violation
of the law of nations.
"The United States, therefore,
cannot submit to the curtailment of
| its neutral rights by these measures,
which are admittedly retaliatory,
and therefore illegal, in conception
and in nature, and intended to pun
ish the enemies of Great Britain
for alleged illegalities on their part.
The United tSates might not be in
a position to object to them if IFS
interests and the interests of all neu
trails were unaffected by them, but,
being affected, it cannot with COM
placency suffer further subordina-
| ton of it's rights and interests to
| the plea that the exceptional geo.
graphic position of the enemies of
Great Britain require or justify OPP
pressive and illegal practices.
INSISTS ON ACCEPTED RULES.
"The government of the United
most earnestly upon his majesty's
government that it must insist that
the relations between it and his
majesty's government be governed,
not by policy of expediency, but
by those established rules OF inter
national conduct upon which Great
Britain in the past has held the
United States to account when the
latter nation was a belligerent en-
gagged in a struggle for national ex-
Iistence. It is of the highest i'm
portance to neutrals not only of the
present day, but of the future, that
the principles of international right
be maintained unimpaired.
"This task of champfoning the
integrity of neutral rights, which
have received the sanction of the
civilized world against the 1awless
conduct of belligerents arising out
of the bitterness of the great con-
flict which is now wasting the
countries of Europe, the Omitted
States unhesitatingly assumes, and
to the accomplishment of that task
it will devote it's energies, exercis
ing always that impartiality which
from the outbreak of the war it has
sought to exercise in it's relations
with the warning nations"
The note is dated October 81 and
acknowledges the notes of the Brit
ish government dated January Z,
February 10, June %, July 81
(two), August 10 and a note of
verbale of the British embassy of
August 6, all of which relate to re-
strictions upon American commerce.
The United States says at the out
set that it has delayed answering
these notes in the hope that he an
nounced purpose of Great Britain
''to exercise their belligerent right
with every possible consideration for
the interests of neutrals," and of
causing 1.-The least possible amount
| of inconvenience to persons engaged
| in legitimate trade" would in prac-
tice not unjustifiably infringe upon
the neutral rights of American cit
liens.
at is therefore matter of re-
greet" says the note, that this
hope has not been realized, but that
on the contrary, interferences with
American ships and cargoes destin-
ed in good faith to neutral ports and
lawfully entitled to proceed have be-
come increasingly veXatious, caus-
ing American shipowners and AM
erican merchants to complain to this
government of the failure to take
steps to prevent an exercise of bel
ligerent power in contravention of
their just rights. AS the measures
complained of proceed directly from
orders issued by the British govern
ment, are executed by British au-
thorities, and arouse a reasonable
apprehension that, if not resisted,
they may be carried to an extent
event more injurious to American
interests, this government directs
the attention of his majesty's gov
eminent to the matters complained
Of"