New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-08-16

ents could not obtain them through
commercial intercourse.
But. if this principe, so strongly
urged by the Imperial and Royal Gov
eminent, should be admitted to obtain
by reason of the superiority OF a bel
ligerent at sea, ought it not to operate
equally as % a belligerent superior on
land? Applying is theory OF equaI-
zation, a belligerent who lacks the nee
essary nun tions to contend success
fully on land ought to be permitted 10
purchase them from neutrals, Wnlle
belligerent with an abundance OF war
stores or with the power 20 produce
them should be debarred from such
traffic.
"Nanif.stly the idea of strict neu;
trality now advanced by the Imperial
and Royal Government would lnVoIEe
a neutral nation in mass OF perpieNl-
ties which would obscure the "hoIe
field of international obligation, pro
duce economic conf .on and DEPRIVE
ali commerce and industry Of legiti-
mate fields of enterprise, already heaVl-
w burdoned bv the unavoidable restrlc-
tiOns OF war. 49,. -
an this connect it is pertinent to
direct the attention of the Imperial
and ROYAL Government to the fact that
Austria-Hungar and Germany par
ticularly the latter, have during the
wears preceding the present European
war. produo- d a great surplus OF arms
and ammunition, which they soIu
throughout the world. and especlaIly 70
belliperents. Never during that Perl9u
did either Of them suggest or Apply the
nrinciple now advocated the I'M
perial and Royal Government
Cites Case of the Beers.
"During the Boer war between Great
Britain and the South African rePup-
lies the patrol Of the coast OF nelgh-
boring neutral colonies by BRUSH
naval vessels prevented arms ana am
munitions reaching the Transyaal or
Tho Orange Free State. The allied repuO-
lies were in a situation almost ideh-
teal in that respect with that IN "hlcn
Austria-Hungary and Germany nhu
themselves al the present tlme. re-.
in spite of the commercial ISOLATION ot
one belligerent. Germany sold 10 Grehl
Rritain and the other belllgerenI nun
dreds of thousands of hlos OF eN-
plosives. gunpowder. cartridges shot
and weapons, and II IS known VhH'
Austria-Hungary sold similar mum
tons 10 the same purchaser lhouGh -,
small quantities. While, as compaieu
with the present war. the quaPutles
sold we're small a table of the sales is
appended). the principle OF neutrailty
jnvoIyed was the same. If at that llIie
Austria Hungary and her present any
had refused to sell arms and ammuhl,,
ton TO Great Britain on the gIouno
that 70 do so would violate the spIIlS
of strict neutrality, the lmperial anu
ROYAL Government might with greater
consistency and greater force urge It's
present contention.
Practice Long Established.
oIt might be further pointed out that
during the Crimean War large guam
titles Of arms and military stores were
furnished 10 Russia by Prusslan manu-
facturers; that during the recent war
between Turkey and Italy. as TINS gov
eminent is advised, arms and am muhl-
lion were furnished TO the ottoman
Government by Germany, and thal our
ING the Balkan wars the belligerents
were supplied with munitions by 6otn
Austria Hungary and Germany. WINE
these latter cases are not analogous
as in the case of the South AFRICAN
war TO the situation o. Austria-huh-
gary and Germany in the present WAL
they nevertheless clearly indicate me
long established practice OF the TWO
empires in the matter Of trade IN war
supplies. ....oo0.s