Milford chronicle., 1915-11-12
BLOCKADEILLEGAL
TELLS BRITAIN
President Wilson Insists on
Shipping Rights.
j CHAMPIONS ALL NEUTRALS
America Cannot with Completeness
Suffer Further subordination Of Its
Interests" Says Note.

Suffer Further subordination Of Its
Interests" Says Note.
The long awaited note to Great
Britain on British practices interfer'
Ing with American trade was made
public.
In it the United States serves not
ice on Great Britain:
THAT it does not recognize as
legal and effective the British block
ade of Germany and Austria-Hungary.
2-That it cannot submit" to the
curtailment of its neutral rights by
measures which are admittedly re
taliatory and therefore illegal.
S-That we must insist" the rela'
tions between it and the British gov
ernment be governed not by policy
of expediency but by established
rules of international law.
/ 4-That it unhesitatingly assumes
the task OF championing the integri'
ty of neutral rights and will devote
Its energies to that end.
| The note as a whole is vigorous
denunciation of the British govern
ment for the illegality OF its measures
In regard to neutral shipping without
justification" ineffective" illegal"
"indefensibie" and "in violation OF the
law of nations" are some of this gov.
ernments characterizations of the
British practices.
Contrastel with the notes to Ger
many in the submarine controversy
the communication to Great Britain,
however, contains no phrases such
as "strict neutrality" will omit no
word or act" and similar expressions
used by the president in pressing his
demands on Berlin. The note to the
London foreign Office is devoid Of
implications such as were contained
in the German notes, of drastic ac'
tion by the United States in the event
that the grounds of complaint are not |
removed.
The note contains more than 10000 |
words. 1t includes among other ex. |
hibits a long list of neutral ships |
which have been illegally interfered |
with by the British. This list, with |
the details in each case, constitute |
in effect, the indictment against
Great Britain on which the note prop
or is based.
The note groups the causes for pro
test by the United States under three
heads. Under these are covered all
the acts which are held to have In
fringed upon American trade rights,
The three groups Of offenses are:
The seizure and detention OF
vessels on the high seas on mere sus
picion.
2-The so-called blockade policy.
3-The unsatisfactory and unac'
ceptable character Of the regulations
governing and the procedure of Brit.
ish prize courts.
The American protest on these
three grounds of complaint is summa'
rized in the note as follows;
Believe it has conclusively shown
that the methods sought to be employ
ed by Great Britain to obtain and
use evidence Of enemy destination OF ,
cargoes bound for neutral ports and
to impose a contraband character {
upon such cargoes are without justi.
fication; that the blockade upon t
which such methods are partly found !
ed is ineffective, illegal and indefens
Ible; that the judicial procedure Of
fered as a means of reparation fol
an international injury is inherently ,
defective for the purpose and that {
in many cases jurisdiction is assert a
ed in violation of the law of nations"
The note adds the additional warn. t
ng that the United States cannot
submit to the curtailment of its neu. I
raj rights by these measures" or !,
with complacency suffer further 9
of its rights rad inter. .
,sts to the plea that the exceptional
position of the enemies S
If Great Britain require or justify o
oppressive and illegal practices"