The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1915-03-02
ENGLAND ANSWERS
GERMANY'S WAR
ZONE ORDER
Reta|iates With Strict Blockade Of
Her Enemy's Ports
ALL COMMODITIES SHUT OUT
Measure viii Be Enforced by Brit
ish and French Navy Without
Menace to Neutral Shipping.

Washington, March 2-The decision
of the British government TO adopt re-
taliatory measures against Germany
was set forth in formal statement
which Premier Asquith read in the
House of Commons. The premier pre-.
faced the reading of the statement
with these words: THE statement de-
cla-es in sufficiently plain and unmis-
taxable terms the view we take. not
only of our rights, but of our duties
The statement, with few minor YER
bal changes. with notes presented by
the British and French ambassadors
yesterday, is as follows
Germany has declared the English
channel, and north and west coasts of
France aud the waters around the
British isles war area. and has olIic.
tally given notice that all enemy
ships found in tht area will De
destroyed and that neutral vessels
may be exposed to danger. This is in
effect claim torpedo at sight, with
out regard to the safety of the crew
or passengers, any merchant vessel
under any flag
AS it is not in the power OF the
surface craft in these waters, the at
tack can only be delivered by submar-
inc agency. The law and customs OF
nations in regard to the attacks on
commerce have always presumed that
the first duty of the captor of n mer-
chant vessel is bringing il before a
prize court, where IT may be tried and
where regularities. of the capture may
be challenged and where neutrals may
recovery their cargo. The sinking OF
prizes is in itself n questionable act,
to be resorted to only in extraordinary
circumstances and after provision has
been made for the safety OF all crews
and passengers
THE responsibility of discriminate
ing between neutral and enemy yes
sells and between neutral and enemy
ca-goes obviously rests with the at.
tacking ship. whose duty it is to veri-
~ the status of the vessel and cargo
and TO preserve all papers before sink.
ing or capturing the ship. So also the
humane duty TO provide for the safety
of crews OF merchant vessels. wheth-
er neutral or enemy, is an obligation
on every belligerent.
'It is upon this basis that all prev
ious discussions of law for regulating
warfare have proceeded The Ger.
man submarine fulfls none of these
obligations. She enjoys no local COM
mand OF the waters wherein she op.
crates. She does not take her cap.
captures within the jurisdiction of a
prize court. She carries no prize
crew which can be put aboard prizes
i've means of discriminating between
neutral and enemy vessels. She does
not receive on board for safety the
crew of the vessel she sinks. Her
methods of warfare therefore are en-
tirely outside the scope OF any inter.
national instruments regulating oper-
ations against commerce in time of
wa.
The German declaration substit-
utes indiscriminate destruction for
regulated captures. Germany has
adopted this method against the
peaceful trader and the noncombatant
with the avowed object of preventing
commodities of all kinds, including
food for the civilian population. from
reaching or leaving the British isles
or northern France. Her opponents
are. therefore. driven to frame retail
iatory measures, in order in their turn
to prevent commodities of any kind
from reaching or leaving Germany.
These measures will, however, be
enforced by the British and French
governments without risk TO neutral
ships or neutral o. noncombatant
lives and in strict observation of the
dictates of humanity The British
and French. governments will, there
fore. hold themselves free to detain
and take into port ships carrying
goods of presumed enemy destination.
ownership Or origin 1t is not intend
ed to confsicate such vessels or car
goes unless they would otherwise be
liable to confisication. Vessels with
cargoes which sailed before this date
will not be affected. This is our re-
ply"
The reading of the statement was
interrupted frequently with loud
cheers. Admiral Lord Charles Beres-
ford invited the premier to state