The Sentinel=record. (Hot Springs, Ark.) 1900-current, 1915-01-12
WAIT FOR COMPLETE REPLY
Hope is Expressed in Official Quar-.
ters That Preliminary Note Has
Not Covered All the Points That
the Complete Note viii.

Washington Jan 11.--Great Brit
aims preliminary reply to the Ameri-
can note of protest concerning neu-
Fal commerce, while gratifying in
the concessions it makes, has, in
many RESPECTS, failed to satisfy the
United States government.
Officials confidently hope that the
second and complete answer from
ENGLAND viii give the specific infor-
nation requested by the United
States and clear mp the uncertainties
which according to the Washington
government surround the commerce
of neutrals
This disposition on the part of the
Washington administration was re-
vealed i'm high official quarters today,
although there was no formal com
ment
When Sir Cecil Spring Rice the
British ambassador, called or Secre.
tary Bryan to inform him that the
british supplementary note would not
be forthcoming for several days, the
secretary told him that the American
government would make no comment
in the interim but would await pa
tiently the coming of the note
Administration officials are unwil-
ling to discuss the note to any extent,
declaring that it was better to Judge
the British attitude when it's com
plete reply was in hand General
disappointment was evident in MANY
quarters, however. for while the note
conceded that the principles ex-
pressed by the United States were
correct, the statistics which it cited
We're regarded as ar adroit effort to
evade the issue
The general complaint of the
United States is that Great Britain,
while promising redress and while
co1ceding the principles of interna-
tional law does not square the prac
tice of its fleet with the utterances
of its foreign office. the United
States, it is pointed out, has endeav
ored without result, even since the
beginning of the war. TO obtain inf0r.
nation from Great Britain as to the
returns for detentions and asked
vainly for information as to the gen.
eral rules governing the activities OF
the British fleet in connection with
neutral commerce
The American government knows
that scores of ships have been de
tanned Only through shipping compa-
nies and exporters Requests for in
formation at London have usually
been met with the statement that
ships We're released and efforts TO
obtain explanations of each case
have been without success. This was
sta.-d au'horitatively today. There
was qualification over the promise in
the last part of the note that Great
Britain now was prepared when
ever a cargo coming from the United
States is detained to explain the case
on which such detention has taken
place
Perhaps more than any other point
in the British note. the citation Of
statistics showing large Increases in
the commerce Of THE United States to
Europe has been regarded as irrele-
want and misleading. Government Of
ficials say these increases are due
largely to the fact that prices Of
American commodities have risen,
and neutral countries are unable TO
get from the belligerent countries
contiguous to them, many of the or
dinary necessities of life.
The British note, for example, re-
ferred to the great increase in con
per exports from the United States
to Italy 1t was stated at the Italian
embassy here that Italy had on sew
eral occasions explained to Great
Britain the reason for this increase
is her own inability to import copper
for manufacture from Germany or
Austria
Similarly Italy now buys corn and
wheat from the United States where
previously she obtained much from
Rouman!a and Bulgaria. Administra-
ton officials point out also that neu.
tral commerce has profited by the
scarcity Of ships which will risk the
mine field and journey direct to Ger
many with nol-contraband goods.
There is no sympathy in official
quarters with The British argument