Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-01-30
Declares Vessels Passing
Through Territorial Waters
Liable to Search.
AN ASSERTION OF RIGHTS
UNDER THE RULES OF WAR
Insists. However. There Will Be No
Violation of The Hague
Convention.

LONDON, January 30. els p.m.-All
the first-c1ass mails passing between
the United States and foreign countries
on vessels that enter British territorial
waters. even though such vessels do
not touch at a British port, are liable
to search by the British censor 1t was
stated by the chief postal censor in an
interview with an Associated Press
representative today.
The argument that ships passing
through the English channel are
forced into the British territorial
statement that such vessels pass
through the channel by choice since
they can take the northern route il
they wish, and thus it must be held
that they voluntarily enter territorial
waters.
Merely Extension of Right.
1t is held that all mails entering ter
ritorial waters pass under the juris-
diction of the British government. as
if they were passing through the
United Kingdom. Great Britain has
long maintained the right to examine
mails passing through the United
Kingdom in transit. and the present
examination is explained as simply an
extension of that right.
The censor stated that thus far no
frst-class mails passing between the
United States and Europe on vessels
taking the northern route outside OF
have been molested.
In the case of the Swedish steamer
Stockholm, which was forcibly de-
tanned. the first-class mails were sent
immediately al a mil nm in
Whenever a ship has been detained on
the high seas for the examination Of
her cargo or her parcels mail = the
government maintaining that parcels
mail does not come under The Hague
convention relating to the inviolability
of first-class mails-there has been no
examination of the letter mail.
Statement by Censor.
The censor said that this article Of
The Hague convention would be OBJ
served whether the ships carrying tho
mails passed through territorial waters
or were on the high seas. He main
tanned, however. that this article does
not prevent the opening of mail bags
and the removal of such goods as
jewelry or rubber which were being
sent as reading matter and declared
that there was no attitude on the part
of the postal censor to allow mails
passing to and from the United States
more latitude than those from other
countries.
The reason those mails that have
been taken from ships in the channel
have not been censored more thorough
ly, said the censor, was because of the
Inadequate staff and an indiSposition to
delay letter mails. He added. however.
that because it was known that guam.
titles of contraband were passing be-
tween Germany and America a more
rigid censorship would be inaugurated.
That Germany is exporting diamonds
and other articles to America in first
class mails as letters is assumed by
articles are likewise coming from the
United States to Germany by way OF
Denmark, Holland and Sweden in the
same way as from South America.
Asserts Right Under Rules of War.
The British government takes the
between Germany and other countries
is its right under the rules of war. 1t
was declared. Despite this. many mails
passing through the channel have not
been touched because of the desire on
the part of the censor not to delay in
nocent mails.
Contrary statements have been made,
aid the censor, that letter mails from
the United States to England are de-
layed only from six to twelve hours by
the censorship. Regarding the COM
Dlafnt in the latest United States note
relative to delay OF mails taken from
various steamers. the censor declared
that in no case was postal CORE.
spondence delayed more than four
DAYS,