The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1915-03-10
INTERESTS AMERICA
OFFICIALS CONSIDER DRASTIC
step OF ALLIES
U, 5. MAY enter PROTEST

This Country, it is Said, Will Discuss
With Great Britain and France
Question If Rights Of Neutral
Shipping Mess the Blockade is
Binding and Effective.
All commercial intercourse by sea
between Germany and the outside
world was declared prohibited Mon
day by Great Britain and France.
Identical notes presented by the
French and British ambassadors at
Washington informed the United
States of this drastic step by the
allies in reply to Germany's war zone
proclamation. The text of the notes
was the same as the statement made
by Premier AsQuith in the British
parliament.
II this policy is enforced 1t no
longer will be possible TO ship cotton,
manufactured articles and ccmmodi-
ties hitherto Of q non-contraband
character from the United States to
Germany, directly or indirectly, and
from Germany the supply Of dye
stuffs and other merchandise for this
country will be cut of.
The impression was general in off.
cial circles Monday night that q
strong protest would be made. The
action Of the allies was regarded as
en- unprecedented and novel step. OF,
fcials pointed out that in the repris'
ais which the belligerents were max.
ing towards each other there was sin.
gular forgetfulness Of the fact thai
whatever might be the violations OF
international customs as between
those countries at war. this could not
affect tie status Of international
rules as between the United States
and countries with which she was al
peace.
Assurances given by Great Britain
that Mondays note was not reply
to the recent proposals Of the United
States for an adjustment Of the en-
tire situation which led to the retail
iatory measures gave ground fol
hopes that the measures taken nigh
be only temporary. In this connec
ton, the state department issued the
following statement:
The British ambassador has pre-
sented the following instruction.
from his government.
"'When presenting tho joint An
gio-French communication yol
should inform the United States gov
ernment that the communication re
| ceiyed from them through the Unit
ed States ambassador in London re
specting possible limitation OF uss
Of submarines and mines and an ar
rangement for supplying food to Ger
many is being taken into careful con
sideration by Great Britain and he
allies.
Copies Of the notes were trans
mitted Immediately by Secretar.
Bryan to President Wilson. State de
partme1t officials admitted that on
Of the most complex problems Of th'
war had arisen. Officials were unani
| nous in their opinion that the Motif
cation could not be called "block
| ade" although it virtually had th'
same effect.
1t was noted generally that th'
| communication did not use the wore
blockade, and at the French and Brit
ish embassies in Washington ther'
| was a similar avoidance Of the word
The notes leave much, therefore, t
be explained.
It WAS regarded AS virtually Ger
tain that the United States woult
| promptly make inquiry as to how tn
step was to be carried into practice
! together with protest against tn
announcement that commerce be
tween Germany and neutral countrie
hereafter would be interrupted by tn
allies.
Officials and diplomats we're curl
Gus to know what would be the dis
position of cargoes hitherto not list
ed as contraband, such as cotton
which, If destined to Germ~ny: tn
allied fleets propose to take into Brit
ish or French ports. An intimatiol
was conveyed in British quarters tina
the allies intended to buy outrigh
all such csrgoes, but 81 ch a promis
| would net affect the determination c
the United States to insist on it
right to send non-contraband article
to Germany when the question i
argued in further diplomatic CORE
spondence.
Just when the United States viii
act on the latest note is dependent t.
some extent on when the replies ar
received from the allies and German.
to the Informal communication look
ing to an abolition Of submarine war
fare no merchant ships end the ship
ment Of foodstuffs to the civilian pop
| ulation of belligerents.
Germany's answer is said to be OF
| its way, and officials expect that /
| will be an ccquiescence in the princi
pie of the American proposals. From
| Great Britain no word had come il
several days until Mondays state
ment that the matter was under con
sideration.
In some quarters, however, there
was disposition to regard the Amer
| lean informal communication as like
| ly to fail of accomplishing anything
beyond a possible amelioration o.
conditions as to mines In the ope1
seas.
Disp!easure at the latest develop
ments was not concealed in state de-
partnent circles, where the stopping
Of commerce to and from German!
| was viewed as much more seriou:
than blockade, since it interferet
also with cargoes presumed to be
bound to a belligercnt while in tran
sit to :: neutral country. Whereas
the doctrine of continuous voyage
previously has been invoked in the
present wcr by Great Britain to sus.
tain her right to detain cargoes al
any stage in their journey if proved
ultimately to be destined to a bellig.
erent, such presumption is under.
stood now to include all articles OF
merchandise such as machinery and
implements, IS we'll as cotton bound
between the United States and neu-
trail countries, unless an embargo on
re-exportation is put into effect by
rha ooufra1c m whom tho nrodrctc