Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1915-03-20
WASHINGTON IS
KEEPING RECORD
ABOVE QUESTION
All Controver-
sizes Wifi Great Britain Are
Based Upon International
Law and Usage,

ter sossiNe JouHsAL SPECIAL Asssrp wlstt
washington, March l9.--While the |
united states government does not
KNOW officially as yet whether Great |
Brltam and her allies intend to main |
tain legal blockade or propose 10 |
Apply general rules of contraband and |
non-eontraband in enforcing their !
embargo on commercial intercourse
between Germany and neutral coun- /
tries, American naval officers and Of !
iiclals versed in International law ox- |
pressed the opinion today that indCfl- |
mite limit plesCribed-"E European wa |
tiers including the Mediterranean
might be construed as a legal area OF /
operations for blockading fleet.
In the formulation of the policy of
the United States relative to the treat
ment of neutral shipping by the al
Lied fleets, naval officers Of high rank
have constantly been consulted. so
that IN none Of the diplomatic COM
municatlons sent abroad might there
be anything said which could com
promise the activities of the American
fleet itself in possible future wars.
Rear Admiral Fiske, aide for opera
tons in the navy department, confers
with Counsellor Robert Lansing ut
the state department daily, and on the
neutrality board of three. which acts
in an advisory capacity to the coun-
sellor, there are two naval officers
Captains Oliver and Knapp. authorl-
ties IN maritime law.
Consider New Questions.
Much consideration has been given
at the conference TO the newly de-
veloped activity of submarines. II is
frankly admitted by the naval off
GERS that the old form of blockade by
warships close TO an enemy coast
passed with the investment of San
tiago in the Spanish American war.
Accordingly, in the message of inquiry
TO Great Britain and France asking
for an explanation of their recent dec
laration of an embargo, the United
States conceded that the activity of
submarines might make physically
impossible a close blockade of an en-
my coast. and suggested that if the
declaration of the allies We're to be
construed as a legal blockade, some
radius Of activity" be announced.
Area of Operations.
This principle of a radius of ac-
ton" or area Of operations" for
hlOckading fleet was the subject OF
much discussion at the international
naval conference at London in 1903
and the declaration, which followed,
contained the Following rule:
THE seizure Of neutral vessels for
violation of blockade may be made
only within the radius of action OF the
ships Of war assigned to maintain an
effective blockade"
An explanation of this was given at
the conference, which a recent publ
cation of the United States naval war
college states has been universally
accepted" as interpreting the rule
The commentary, which is pointed to
as explaining the American attitude.
follows in part:
Defining Radius OF Activity.
1T does not seem possible TO as
sign limits to the radius Of action in
definite and unvarying figures. any
more than it is possible to fix before
hand invariably the number of ships
necessary to assure the effectiveness
of any blockade. These points must
be determined according to circum-
stances in each particular case of a
blockade. II is evident that a block
ade will not be established in the
same way on a defenseless coast and
on coast possessing all modern
means of defense. There would be
no question in the latter case of APP
plying a rule such as that which
formerly required that ships should
be stationary and sufficiently close to
the blockaded places; the position |
would be too dangerous for the ships
of the bockading force, which, be- |
sides, now possesses more powerful !
means enabling them to watch effec- |
lively a much wider zone than form. !
erly.
Never Reaches Remote Seas.
"'rl1e radius of action Of blocRad- /
int naval force may extend somewhat |
far but as it depends on the num- |
Der Of ships contributing to the eff
fectiveness of the blockade and is al /
ways limited BY the condition OF eff /
fectiveness, 1t will never reach re- !
mote seas upon which merchant YES I
sells sail which are, perhaps, destined |
for blockaded ports, but whose des- !
tination may be contingent on the |
changes which circumstances may |
produce in the blockade during their
voyage.
ITO sum up, the idea Of radius of |
action joined 10 that Of effectiveness, |
that is to say, including the zone of
operations of the blockading forces, /
allows the belligerent to exercise in
an effective manner the right to |
blockade which is admitted to be his |
and. on the other hand it saves neu- /
trails from exposure to the inconVe-
nienee of blockade at u great dis
lance. while it leaves them free to
run the risks to which they know
inEly expose themselves by approach |
ing points to which access is torpld-