The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-07-31
OF INTERFERING WITH
AMERICAN RIGHTS
The American Note Is Even
More Positive Than Pre-
viously Intimated

ment, OF the many serious consequences
to neutral right and neutral relations
which such an act must necessarily in
volve."
Already in the hands of the British
foreign office, the note declares in the
gravest terms" that it is "manifestly out
OF the question that the government OF
the United States should aequiesce IN
such methods" and that the United
States regards the blacklist as "inevit-
ably and essentially inconsistent with
the rights of all the citizens OF all the
nations not involved in the war" 1t re-
minds the British government that "eiti-
zens of the United States are entirely
within their rights in attempting to trade
with the people or the governments Of
any OF the nations now at war, subject
only to the well defined international
practices and understandings which the
government of the United States deems
the government OF Great Britain to have
too lightly and frequently disregarded"
The American note is even more posi-
tive in it's terms than officials have init
mated. Ambassador Page was instructed
by Acting Secretary Polk to deliver 1t
formally and textuslly. 1t follows:
THE announcement that His Britannia
| Maiesty's government has placed the
names of certain persons firms and cor
porations in the United States upon a
proscriptiye blacklist and has forbidden
all financial or commercial dealings be
tween them and citizens of Great Britain
has been received with the most painful
surprise by the people and government Of
the United States and seems to the gov
eminent of the United States to embody
a policy OF arbitrary interference with
neutral trade against which it is its duty
to protest in the most decided terms.
"The scope and effect of the policy are
extraordinary. British steamship com
panies will not accept eargoes from the |
prescribed firms or persons or transport |
their goods to any port, and steamship |
lines under neutral ownership under
stand that if they accept freight from
them they are likely to be denied coal at
British ports and excluded from other
privileges which they have usually en-
joyed, and may themselves be put upon
the blacklist. Neutral bankers refuse
loans to those on the list and neutral
merchants decline to contract for their
goods, fearing a like prescription 1t APP
pears that British officials regard the pro-
hibition OF the blacklist as applicable to
domestic commercial transactions in for
eign countries as well as in Great Britain
and her dependencies, for Americans do
ing 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 7
ject to similar punitive action if they
we're found dealing with any OF their own
whose names had thus been
listed. b
The harsh and even disastrous effects s
If this policy upon the trade OF the a
United States and upon the neutral G
lights upon which it will not fail to in a
list are obvious. Upon the list of those b
prescribed and in effect shut out from b
he general commerce OF the world may n
,e found American concerns which are @
ngaged in large commercial operations W
s importers of foreign products and ma t,
erials and as distributors of American
PRODUCTS and manufactures to foreign b
ountries and which constitute important d.
hannels through which American trade la
caches the outside world. Their foreign b
ffiliations may have been fostered for m
many years, and when once broken can tC
OF easily or promptly be re-established OF
'ther concerns may be put upon the list
t any time and without notice. 1t is I'll
nderstood that additions TO the proscrlp- 81
ion may be made whenever on account tv
~. |
on of such persons or bodies of persons
appears to His Majesty expedient to
o So The possibilities of undeserved
hurry to American citizens from such
leasures, arbitrarily taken, and of Sc Sc
Gus and incalculable interruptions of
merican trade are without limit.
1T has been stated on behalf of His
-aiesty's government that these meas til
res were aimed only at the enemies of by
reat Britain and would be adopted and tn
lforced with strict regard to the rights GU
neutrals and with the least possible 80
,triment to neutral trade but it is evil -
mt that they are inevitably and essen
ally inconsistent with the rights of the
items of all the nations not involved in
ar The government of the United
ates begs to remind the government of
is Britannia Majesty that citizens OF
e United States are entirely within
cir rights in attempting to trade with
e people or the governments of any OF
e nations now at war, subject only TO
III defined international practices and
which the government OF
e United States deems the government
Great Britain to have too lightly and
D frequently disregsrded. There are
II known remedies and penalties for
caches OF blockade, where the blockade
real and in fact effective, for trade in
traband, for every unneutral act by
omsoever attempted The government
the United States cannot consent to
those remedies and penalties altered
extended at the will Of a single power
group Of powers to the injury OF its
n citizens or in derogation Of its own
hts. Conspicuous among the principles
ich the civilized nations Of the world
re accepted for the safeguarding OF the
hts OF neutrals is the Just and honor
e principle that neutrals NAV not he
demned nor their goods oonhscsted ex-
{ upon fair Adjudication and after an
,ortunity to be heard in prize courts -