Der Deutsche correspondent. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1841-1918, 1916-07-28
THE RIFLING or AMERICAN
MAILS.

From the Irish World.
British cruisers for months had
been holding up ships on the high
seas and taking from them Amer
lean mail-bags, At last on May "a,
1916, our State Department entered
formal protest against the out
rageous conduct Secretary Of State
Lansing, in a note sent to the Brit
ish and French Ambassadors at
Washington, made the following ex-
plicit demands:
The Government OF the United
States, in view OF the improper meth
DDS employed by the British and
French authorities in interrupting
mails passing between the United
States and other neutral countries,
can no longer tolerate the wrongs
which citizens Of the United States
have suffered and continue to suffer
through these methods.
Only a radical change in the
present British and French policy,
restoring to the United States its
full rights as a neutral power, viii
satisfy this Government"
England and her French ally were
told, in so many words, that the
United States Government had
reached the limits OF It's patience
and would no longer put up with the
flagrant and oft-repeated violations
OF the Postal treaty it had nego-
tiatcd with both England and France.
Then followed this ultimatum:
Only radical change in the present
British and French policy, restoring
TO the United States its full rights
as neutral power, will satisfy this
Government" Language OF this
kind, coming from q Government
meaning business, would have had
its due effect in London and Paris.
But it might as well never have been
addressed to the British and French
Governments, so far as the rifiing Of
American mails was concerned. Dur
ing the two months which have in
tervened since Secretary Lansing
penned his strongly worded note the
seizure Of American mails has gone
on without any cessation. 1t Is
asserted on reliable authority that
mail from New York to Scandinav-
ian countries Is not forwarded after
being examined by British inspec-
tors, but summarily thrown over
board.
And now, after two months delay,
the British Government sends what
Is designated as "a preliminary re-
ply" to the State Departments pro-
test against wholesale rihing of
American mails. Instead of dealing
with the general subject treated of
in the State Departments note OF
May "a, the preliminary reply con-
fines itself to q few specifications
made in Secretary Lansing's note Of
last May. In that note the head OF
the State Department said: Delays
in receiving shipping documents
have caused great loss and inconven-
fences by preventing prompt delivery
OF goods" Referring to q specific
instance Of this loss wrote
"The Standard Underground Cable
Company of Pittsburgh, for example,
sent by mail tender and specifica-
tions for certain proposed electric
works to be constructed in Chris
tiana; after several weeks of waiting
the papers have failed to arrive. The
American Company was told that the
bids could no longer be held open
and the contract was awarded to a
British Company"
The British Foreign Office affects
suggestion that the Illegal seizure OF
American mails had resulted, as in
the case Of the Standard Under
ground Gable Company, in giving
English firms a great advantage over
their American competitors. An
English business firm adopted un-
derhand methods to get the better
of an American rival! The thing is
impossible, says the British Foreign
Office. Assuming the air Of injured
innocence, British ohlcialdom lee
lures our State Department In the
case of the Pittsburgh Cable Com
pany it Is stated that "the Govern
ment Of the United States appeared
to insinuate" that the hold-up OF the
mail Of the Cable Company was con-
nected with the fact that a British
competitor had obtained a contract
for which that Company had been
rendering. His Majesty's Gov
ernment is astonished that such an
insinuation should be made"
The inference being that England
Is above resorting to underhand
methods to injure trade rival, the
United States must consider itself
rebuked for having made such a
charge. In the meantime no answer
has been made to the American CON
tention that genuine correspon-
dence is under conventional stipula-
tion inWolable." The State Depart
ment wants that matter definitely
settled and has, therefor, notified
the British Government that the
memorandum, or preliminary reply,
is wholly unsatisfactory A Wash
ington dispatch dealing with the at
tempt of the British Foreign Office
to avoid the real issue says:
"Onicials read into the memoran-
dunn q dnclnra1inn Of Intention nf