The Elbert County tribune., 1916-06-02

ton of ships by forcing or Inducing
them to visit their ports. for tho pur-
pose of seizing their malls. or thereby
such ships than they could exercise on
the high seas. for there is. in the
opinion OF the government Of the
tween the seizure of mails at sea-
which is announced as abandoned. and
their seizure from vessels voluntarily
or involuntarily In port
THE British and French praetic.
amounts to an unwarrantcd limitation
of the use by neutrals of the worlds
highway for the transmission of cor
respondence. The practice actually fol-
lowed by the allied powers must be
said to Justify the conclusion. there
fore, that tho announcement of Feb
ruary Is was merely notice that one
Illegal practice had been abandoned to
other. more onerous and vcxatious in
character.
Hague Rule violated.
"The present practice is a violation
not only of the spirit OF the announce
ment of February 10. but of the rule
OF The Hague Convention, upon which
IL is concededly based. Aside from this.
IL is a violation of the prior practice
of nations which Great Britain and her
allies have In the past assisted to es-
ia blish and maintain.
The arbitrary methods employed bv
the British and French governments
nave resulted most ulSastrOuSlN TO citi-
zens of the United States. Important
papers which can never be duplicated.
or can be duplicated only with great
ents for Inventions, rare documents.
legal papers relating to the settlement
of estates, powers of attorney. fire in
surance claims. income tax returns and
similar matters. have been lost.
Delays in receiving shipping docu-
ments have caused great loss and in
convenience by preventing prompt de
livery of goods.
Business opportunities nre lost by
failure to transmit properly bids. speci-
fications and contracts.
Money Order Lists Missing.
Business correspondence, relating
to legitimate and bona fide trade be-
tween neutral countries. correspond
ence of a personal nature, and also
certain official correspondence such as
money order lists and other matter
forwarded by government departments.
are detained, lost or possibly de-
Not only are American commercial
interests injured. but rights of prop
erty are violated, and the rules of in
ternat onal law and custom are palp-
ably disregarded
II can only add that this continuing
offense has led to such losses to
responsibility of the United States II
repair them, that this government Will
be compelled in the near future TO
press claims for full reclamation upon
the attention of His Majesty's gov
eminent and that OF the French Re
ublic.
Details of United stntes stand.
THE government of the United
States is inclined to the opirion that
the class OF mail matter which in
liar securities is to be regarded as of
the same nature as merchandise or
other articles OF property and subject
to the same exercise of belligerent
rights. Money orders, checks. drafts,
notes and other negotiable instru-
Inents which may pass as the equiva-
to be classed as merchandise.
Correspondence, including shipping
documents. money order Lists and pa
pers of that character even though re-
iating to enemy supplies or exports"
unless carried on the same ship as the
property referred to, are, in the opln-
ed as genuine correspondence" and en-
titled to unmolested passage
THE government of the United
States. In view OF the improper meth,
French authorities in interrupting
mails passing between the United
States and other neutral countries and
between the United States and the en-
emies of Great Britain, can no longe..
tolerate the wrongs which citizens OF
the United States suffer and continue
to suffer through these methods.
Rights Must BE Observed.
u
this character would open the door to
repeated violations of international
law by the beligerent powers on the
ground of military necessity. of which
the violator would be the sole Judge.
Manifestly neutral nation cannot
permit its rights on the high seas to
be determined by belligerents or the
exercise of these rights to be permit
ted or denied arbitrarily by the gov
e.'ament II warning nation.
THE rights of neutrals are as sa-
creu the rights of beiiigerents and
must be as strictly observed.
The government of the United
States. confident in the regard for in
ternational law and the rights of neu-
trails, which the British and French
governments have so often proclaimed
and the disregard of which they have
urged as vigorously against their en-
emies in the present war expects the
present practice of the British and
| French authorities in the treatment of
| malls from or to the United States to
| cease, and belligerent rights. as ex-
| ercised, to conform to the principle
governing the passage of mail matter
and to the recognized practice of ma
tions.
only a radical change in the pres
ent British and French policy, restor-
| ing to the United States its full rights
as a neutral power. will satisfy this
| government.
"DnnEpT JANCINf.