The Elk Mountain pilot., 1916-07-22
STOP SEEING MAIL
U. 9. NOTIFIES BRITAIN AND
FRANCE IN VIGOROUS NOTE.
"Lawless Practice" on Seas mo
Longer Can Be Tolerated." and
Allies Arc Warned to Change
Policy.
Western Newspaper Union New. Service.

the communication addressed to the
British and French ambassadors. TO
whom it was delivered Wednesday. in
part follows:
Department of State, Warrington,
May "a, 1916.-Excellency: l have the
honor to acknowledge receipt of your
eIcellency's note of April 3 last, trans
mitting a memorandum dated February
10, 1916. and communicated in sub
stance to the American ambassador in
London on February 2Sth. in which are
stated the contentious of the British
and French governments in regard to
eel and letter mails en- route by sea
between the United States and Eu-
rope.
After a discussion of the use of the
mails for the transmission of parcels
and of the limitations to be placed on
inviolable.' the joint memorandum OF
February 15 closes with the following
assertions:
u. That from the standpoint of the
right of visitation and eventual arrest
and seizure. merchandise shipped IN
post parcels needs not and shall not be
treated otherwise than merchandise
shipped in any other manner.
'2. That the inviolnbility OF postal
correspondence stipulated by the elev-
does not in any way affect the right OF
the allied governments to visit and. IL
occasion arise, arrest and seize mer
chandise hidden in .he wrappers IN
velopes or letters contained in the mail
bags.
and respectful of genuine correspond
ence the allied governments Will re-
frain for the present, on the high seas
from seizing and confiscating such cor
respondence. letters or dispatches ana
will insure their speediest possible
transmission, as soon as the sincerity
of their character shall have been as
eertained."
Allies Conte ntfon Rejected.
'In reply the government of the
United States desires to safe that II
does not consider that the postal union
convention of 1905 necessarily applies
to the Interference by the British and
French governments with the oversea
transportation of mails of which the
government of the United States COM
plains.
Furthermore. the allied powers ap-
pear to have overlooked the admission
of the government OF the United States
that post parcels may be treated as
merchandise subject to the exercise OF
belligerent rights as recognized by IN
ternational law. But the government
of the United States does not admit
that such parcels are subject to the
exercise of the rights of police super
vision, visitation and eventual seizure
which belongs to belligerents with ref
erence to all cargoes on the high seas
as asserted in the Joint note under ac
ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
Right Of Search Limited.
1S nOttu with tuot WIG
British and French governments do not
claim, and, In the opinion of this gov
ernment, properly dc not claim, that
their 30 called blockade measures are
sufficient grounds upon which to base
. right to Interfere with all classes of
mail matter In transit to or from the
central powers.
ION the contrary. their contention
appears to be hat as genuine cores
spondence' Is under con entional stipu-
iation 'inviolable. mail matter of other
l.. tA~t n m n n o y
animation. While the government of
the United States agrees that genuine
correspondence mail is inviolable 1t
does not admit that belligerents may
search other private sea-bornc mails
for any other purpose than to discover
whether they contain articles or enemy
sells or articles Of contrahand trars
mitted under sealed cover as letter
mail. though they may intercept at sea
all mails coming out of or going into
norts of the enemy's coasts which are
effectively blockaded.
Malls Seized In Port.
The governments of the United
States. Great Britain and France, how
ever appear to be In substantial agree
ment as to prinsiple; The meshod net "h,or o.
cause OF difference.
Though giving assurances that they
consider genuine correspondenee 10 9e @
their engagements refrain on the
high seas from seizing and confiscat,
Ing such correspondence the allied
governments proceed to deprive n,v .
trail governments of the benefits OF
these assurances by seizing and con
fiscating mall from vessels In port In
..They compel neutral ships without
lust cause to enter their own ports or
they induce shipping lines. through
some form of duress to send their mail
ships via British ports. or they detain
all vessels merely calling at British
ports-thus ACQUIRING by force or un-
)ustifiable means an illegal 1urisdie-
ton.
Censorship Assaulted.
Acting upon this enforced jurisdic
ton, the authorities remove all mail.
genuine correspondence as wei as
post parcels; take them to London
where every piece. even though of nen,
trail origin and destination, Is opene1
and critically examined. to determine
the sincerity of their charaGter' tios ,,,,, i"
en- that underlined phrase by the Brit
ish and French censors: Final'y' the
expurgated remains Is iorWaruea. iTe
ouently after irreparable delay. to Its
destination.
from the United states or to or from
other neutral countries. and mails are
held and delayed for several DAYS, and.
in some cases, for weeks, ana even
months. even though not routed to
ports of North Europe, via British
This has been the procedure which
ha. been practiced since the an
nouncement of February Is. 1916. TO
.ome extent, the same practice was FOL
lowed before that date, calling for the
protest of this government of January
l. 1915 But to that protest the mem.
orandum under Acknowledgement
makes no reference and Is entirely
unresponsive. ,.,
United states Insists on Position.
"The government of the United
States must again insist with emphasi ;
that the British and French govern
ments do not obtain rishtful 1urisdic-
Church Doubles Pension Fund.
A,,.h nri1