Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1916-09-13
BRITISH VIOLATE
j. S. NEUTRALITY
Hold Up American Steamer Off
the Philippines.
LANSING NOTIFIED OF ACT
Captain Compelled to Give English
Commander the Ships Manifest
and List of Passengers-Basis
for Protest.

Washington, Sept. 10. - Brigadier
General Light, commander Of Ameri-
can military forces in the Philippines,
reported to the war department facts
that show a clear violation Of Ameri-
can neutrality when British Destroy
er held up the American steamer Cebu
4 off Carabao island early Monday.
General Light reported that the
Cebu was a mile and half inside
American territorial waters when she
was stopped and boarded.
The Cebu's captain was compelled
to give Lieutenant Bellies, the British
commander, the ships manifest and
passenger list.
The official report was laid before
Secretary Of State Lansing by the war
department.
On releasing the Cebu, the lieuten-
ant made this note on it's log: Board
ed at 3 80 a. M, 9-11-16, examined and
passed"
Basis for Specific Protest.
There has been more than one COM
plant about the activity Of the British
vessels around the Philippines, and
while General Lights report fur
nishes the basis for specific protest,
1t is probable that Great Britain will
be called upon to restrict the opera
tons Of her patrolling squadron gener-
ally in and near the territorial waters
of the islands. In order that there
might be no mistake about where the
Cebu was at the time it was held up.
Its exact position was given by the
master as follows: Latitude IA de-
grees, 16 minutes; longitude 120 de-
gree, 80 minutes, or one and half
miles from Cardiac island.
A declaration by Secretary Lansing
that he considered information OBJ
tanned by censors from the mails
should be used only for military pur-
poses was believed to forecast injec-
ton of that issue into the negotiations
with Great Britain over mail seizures.
While no inquiry has been sent re-
garding the statement in parliament of
David Lloyd-George, the British war
minister, that information cleaned by
the censors properly could be put to
"any public or national USE" Mr. Ian
sing said he had read the war secre-
tarys speech and that the matter
might become subject of diplomatic
negotiations.
Retaiiatory Action Considered.
The first step probably would be
request for definite statement of the
British governments policy regarding
use of information, especially trade Sc
crets, falling into the hands Of the
censors. Secretary Lansing said he
was studying carefully the retaliatory
legislation passed last week by con-
gress, but whether the powers it con-
fers on the president will be used de-
ponds upon future developments and |
the outcome Of diplomatic efforts.
q. The British reply to the last Ameri-
can note on mail seizures is expected
here this week. Allied diplomats ex-
pressed hope thar no definite action
would be taken by this government
while the whole trade dispute is under
negotiation, PREDICTING that any retail
iat6ry action might Result il i trade
War. 1t is understood that while the !,
allied embassies here cannot act Off
cially i Instructed by the grand
trade council at Paris, they intend to
bring this feature of the situation in
formally to the attention Of the state o
department. 20. - i Z ~, gs5ss4.,a