Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1915-08-04
AMERICAN REPLY
TO BRITISH NOTE
ALREADY IN SHAPE
Britain's Views Were Well
Known, and Answer May Be
Sent Forthwith.
u. S. TO FIRMLY INSIST ON
ORIGINAL CONVENTIONS
Determination to Continue Sea
Abuse Interpretation Of
English Stand.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 4.-Presi-
dent Wilson's reply to Great Britain 3
latest notes rejecting the American
demands for relief from interferences
with neutral commerce under the
orders in counsel is practically ready
TO be dispatched to London.
Although Great Britains notes
were made public only last night and
the state department received them
only Monday. the American govern
ment knew the British views through
informal conferences between Ameri-
can and British officials here and in
London, and had framed its reply
before the notes actually we're re-
ceiVed. 1t is believed there will be
little change in the answer already
prepared when it goes to London.
Admitting the unusual conditions
which Great Britain contends are
basis for exceptional action, the
American reply will continue to con-
test the legality of taking ships from
the high seas on voyages to neutral
ports. 1t is understood the Ameri-
can government will differentiate
from ships on the high seas and
ships which go to British ports, or
which attempt to run blockade lines.
The British argument that American
commerce has not suffered also will
be contested.
In all quarters it seems to be
agreed that the controversy has
reached the stage of an academic
discussion with some evidences of a
trend toward ultimate submission to
an International arbitral commission
as way out of the deadlock.
The British note, supplement and
Neches communication, all bearing
substantially on the same subject, in
cluded some 1000 words, but the
whole thing could be boiled into
seven, it's critics agreed: I'VE shall
continue to apply these measures"
The communications were friendly
in tone. They were not friendly in
quite the same fervid form of e.
planation as the notes which haN
come from Germany, but they wer'
not less so in effect
British Foreign Secretary Sir Ed
ward Grey, the author, wrote as If he
took it for granted that the two coun
tries were on the most cordial terms
so much so that apparently he did
not deem ii necessary to say so in so
many words. His phraseology was
amicably crisp and business-like.
Blockade Called Reasonable.
His idea, he said, was to convince
American Ambassador Page. with
whom nominally he was conducting
the correspondence, that the blockade
methods, concerning which the United
States complained, ARE not only rea-
sonable and necessary in themselves.
but constitute not more than an
adaptation of the old principles of
blockade to the peculiar circum-
stances with which we are con-
fronted."
The crux of the American COM
plant, as Sir Edward said he under
stood it-correctly, according to in
ternational authorities here-was that
the British were not only interfering
with American shipments to German
ports, but also to the ports of neu-
trail countries adjoining Germany.
Justifies Extreme Measures.
Changed conditions of warfare, the
British note contends, require a new
application of the principles of inter-
national law. The advent of the sub
marine, the airship and the alleged
atrocities by German troops in Bel
GUM are cited as Justification for the
Continued on Page 5. Column IL