Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1916-08-03
AMERICAN NOTE
TO GREAT BRITAIN
IS TO The POINT
Blacklist Declared Inconsistent
with Justice and Fairness
among Friendly Ma
tons.

Washington, July 80 Great Britain is
warned, in the American note Of protest
against the blacklist, made public Tonight
! by the state department. of the many
serious consequences to neutral right and
neutral relations which such an act must
necessarily involve"
| Already In the hands of the British for
eign office. the note declares in the
gravest terms" that it is "manifestly out
or the question that the government Of the
! United states should acquiesce i'm such
methods" and that the United States re-
| CARDS the blacklist as 'inevitahlv and es-
sentiallY inconsistent with the rights of
all the citizens of all the nations not in
volved in the war" 1t reminds tho Brit
| ish government that "citizcns of the Uni
ted States are entirely within their rights
| i'm attempting to trade with the people or
d the governments of any Of the nations
! now at war, subject only to well defined
/ international practices and understandings
/ which the government Of the United
States deems the government Of Great
! Britain to have toe lightly ana Frequently
diSregarded."
! the American note is even more posi-
/ tive i'm its terms than officials have init
mated Ambassador Page was instructed
! 10y Acting Secretary Polk to deliver it
formally and teXtually. 1t follows:
| The announcement that His Britannia
NlaleSiy's government has placed the
names Of certain persons, firms and cor
/ porations in the United States upo1 a
/ proscriptve blacklist and has forbidden
all financial or commercial dealings be-
tween them and citizens Of Great Britain
has been received with the most painful
girprica nv bo =
the United States, and seems 10 the govern
ment of the United states to embodv a
policy of arbitrary interference with nou-
trail trade AGAINST which it is it's duty to
protest in the most decided terms
The scope and effect Of the policy are
extraordinary. British steamship com
panies will not accept cargoes from, the
prescribed firms or persons or transport
their goods to any port and steamship
lines under neutral ownership understand
that if they accept freight from them
they are likely to he denied coal at
British ports and excluded from other
PRIVILEGES which they have usually ell
ioNed, and may themselves he put upon
the blacklist Neutral bankers refuse
loans to those on the list and neutral mcr-
chants decline to contract for their goods
fearing n like prescription. IT appears
that British officials REGARD the prohibit
tions of the blacklist as applicable to
domestic commercial transactions in for
eiEn countries as we'll as in Great Britain
and her dependencies. for Americans
doing business in foreign countries have
been put on notice that their dealings
with blacklisted firms are to be regarded
as subject to veto by the British govern
ment. BY the same principle Americans
in the United states might be made sub
iect to similar punitive action if they
We're found dealing with any of their
own countrymen whose names had thus
been listed
The harsh and even disastrous effects
of this policy upon the trade of the
United states and upon the neutral rights
upon which it will not fail to insist are
obvious. Upon the list of those prescribed
and in effect shut out from the general
commerce of the world may be found
American concerns which are engaged in
largo commercial operations as importers
of foreign products and materials and
as distributors of American products ana
manufactures to foreign countries and
which constitute important channels
through which American trade reaches
the outside world Their foreign
Affiliations may have neen fostered for
many wears and when once broken cam
not easily or promptly he ro-estahlishcd.
Other concerns may he put upon The list
at any time and without notice 1t is
understood that additions TO the proscrip-
ton may be made whenever on account
Of enemy nationality or enemy asso"ia-
tion of such persons or bodies of per
sons it appears to His Majesty eXpedient
10 do so The possibilities of undeserved
injury to American citizens from such
measures. arbitrarily taken and of SER
ious and !naalculahlo Interruptions of
American trade are without limit.
at has been stated on behalf of His
Majcsty's government that these meas
urcs were aimed only ut the enemies
of Great Britain and would be adopted
and enforced with strict regard to the
rights of ncutrals and with the least
possible dctrimcnt to neutral trade,
but it is evident that they arc newt
ably and essentially inconsistent with
the rights of the citizens of all the ma
tions not involved in war. The gov
eminent Of the United states boEs to
remind the government of His lfritan-
mic Majesty that citizens Of the United
States are entirely within their rights
in attempting to trade with the people
or the governments of any of the ma
tons now at war, subject only to we'll
defined international practices and un-
derStandings which the government of
: the United States deems the govern
ment of Great Britain to have too
! lightly and too frequently disrogardcd
! There are well-known remedies and
= penalties for breaches Of blockade
p where the blockade is real and in fact
effective, for trade in contraband, for
every unneutral act by WhomsoeNer at
] tempted The government of the Uni
$ ted States can not consent to see those
+ remedies and penalties altered or eN-
e. tended at the will of a single power OIL
/, group of powers to the injury of its
I own citizens or in derogation Of its
= own rights. Conspicuous among the
principles which the civilized nations
of the world have accepted for the
safeguarding of the rights of ncutralS
:, ! is the Just and honorable principle
: that neutrals may not be condemned
;. nor their goods contiscated except up
:, portunity to be heard in prize courts
or elsewhere. Such safeguards the
blacklist brushes aside. 1t condemn,
4, without hearing, without notice, and il
: advance. 1t il manifcstly out of the
question that the government of tn,
: United States should acquiesce in sucl
y methods or applications of punishment