The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-02-28
OF NEUTRAL VESSELS ON HIGH SEA

Admiralty proclamation Of February 4
and reiterated in a note of the Ger
man Ambassador at Washington Feb
ruary Is Is the alleged attempt Of
Great Britain to destroy legitimate
neutral trade with Germany n to
starve the German people. The United
states il yftelly Interested In TINS
question. not primarily for Germany's
sake. but rather for its own.
The United States Is essentially a
commercial nation. If that description
strikes a harsh or unwelcomc note
We must nevertheless accustom our
selves to the sound. for this country is
chiefly devoted to developing the gifts
that nature has bestowed upon our
land and to Transforming Them into
blessings Tor mankind. The United
States in no sense resembles. therefore.
military Powers w-oded primarily to
the possession of arms. II Is slow to
anger. absrbed in the pursuit Of
peace and e~ngroScd IN commercial
intercourse with the outside world.
When. therefore. its foreign om-
mere IL thwarted by berligeent ma
TONS II. chief interest is blocked and
the elaborate mechanism of its ma
tional life sorely d~isordered. Since
the beginning of the war Europe has
not hesitated tn deridc American spnsi-
tivenr2s to Interference with IT. for
eign trade and to regard II AZ n token
Of cupiditv.
The right Of the people Of the United
States to send foodstufs to belligerent
states is bound up in the solution OF
the problem as to what is c~ontraband
NJ war and when n may be captured.
"Cortrabtnd' is a term employed to
describe an article which Is liable to
capture because Of its use in the PRISE
| cution Of war and because Of it, hos
tile destination.
The Declaration Of Pa MS Of 1856, to
which maritime states a-~ now gen
orally agreed. declared that goods Of
the subjects 81 a beiligcrent on board
a neutral vessel were free from cap
TURF, except contrabard. Hence tho
value Of the declaration depends upon
a just estimate OF what r. or what
should be embraced within the ex-
ception.
In the var between France and
England growing out OF the French
revolution the United States found
Itself in a serious p~redicament- A
British order in council 81 June 3. 1893.
authorized English warships and
privatecrs TO stop and detain all YES
sells containing fooistufs bound to any
port in France. or one occupied BY
French armies for tho purpose ~ pur-
I chasing the Same. and declsrinC that
a ship should he released after pur-
! chase and after due allowance for
freight.
The purpose NJ the English order
was to reduce France b' starvation.
Jefferson. our Secretary of state. ON
tended that provisions were not con
traband and cuirid not lawfully he
made such for the purpose desired. As
10 the plan Of England. he said on
September :. 1898: she may. indeed.
feel the desire Of starving an enemy
nation. but snc a have M right OF
doing II ut orr loss, nor Of making II,
the instrument Of it,"
The United States succeeded In
maintaining its position. According 20
the jay treaty. ConC,udcd the following
year. provisions We're described rs "nrt
Cen. rally contraband.' In a series Of
treaties. beginning with that concluded
with France February 6. 1873. down
TO that concluded with Italy February
Is. 1871. the United States secured
agreement that foodstufs should TX
expressly or by implication placed out
side the category - c~untraband.
In view of The present discussion
with England the following s!Gnin-
cant statement Of Lord Salisbury, Ut
tered durlus the South African war
has been invokei 10y tho United
States:
"FoodstuNs. thou-h having a hos
tile destination. can hc considered as
c~untrahand Of war only II they are
for the ene,ny's forces; Il - not suf
iicieut that they are capable Of being
so used. 1t must be shown that this
wls In fact their destination al the
time Of their seizure
With this statement as 70 condi
,ioral contrahard tho views ~ the
Department: of STATE We're declared or
December % last. IA a rotc % on
Ambassador ~ LONDON &, lc n r!tjr'
accord. Upon us historic doctI-n'
American shippers are SAID to o,
entitled to rely.
The term conditional contrahan,
needs further explanation. We hav'
seen IL applied 20 foods,uHs. Mari