Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1916-02-18
Note Addressed to State De-
partment Asks Cooperation
Of This Government in Aid
Of International Commerce,
ANSWER MUST AWAIT
LUSlTANIA SETTLEMENT
Action of Great Britain in Vlo-
Iation Of Mail Traffic Sc
vereIy Criticized in Commu-
nication to Uncle SAM
10, MORNING ,ouss.. spsc,., LEASED w,ssl

Washington, Feb 17.-Another note
from Sweden has been addressed 10
the state department, through Minis
ter Ekengren. appealing to the United
States for cooperation with the Swed-
ish government and other neutral ma
tons to maintain the preservation Of
rules OF international law concerning
the protection of neutral commerce
and navigation. Action is proposed
particularly against Great Britain be-
cause of the detention of mail by that
country and other aggressions against
trade regarded by Sweden as unwar-
ranted.
Lusitania Case First.
Secretary Lansing informed the min
lister, It was learned today, that he
could not answer the note until the
controversy with Germany over the
Lusitania case was settled.
The latest communication addressed
TO Secretary Lansing and signed By
Mr. Ekengren, was presented recently
after such approval had been ad-
vanced and discussed from time to
time, but until today the fact did not
become known. Following is the text
of the note in part
Swedens Statement.
Tho royal government has. during
the present war, from time to time,
proposed to your excelency that
through cooperation it be sought to
lpaintai~ and preserve certain import
ant rules Of international war, which
concern protection Of neutral COM
merce ana navigation, and which are
being Violated by Great Britain.
'rhe violation of existing rules OF
international law has, regardless Of
protests, increased until at present
only few rules, serving as protection
to neutral commercial intercourses,
are observed by Great Britain and il is
feared that also these remaining few
will be violated.
Mail Traffic Violated.
"Of late the British authorities have
violated the mail traffic. Parcels post
from one neutral country to another Isl
being unloaded in British ports and
the contents are being seized. While
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The Hague convention. it nevertheless
seems to his majestys government
that the British procedure In the form
and extensiveness practiced, would be
invalid even with regard to ordinary
express goods, and that this seems
particularly evident when tho seizure
Of parcels post is directed against a
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Of sovereign powers
Censoring Neutral Letters.
However England's present prac-
tce OF censorng also first-cass mail,
sent by neutral vessels from one coun
try TO another Is an even greater vio
lation Of the rights accorded neutral
powers by the rules of international /
law.
THE royal government therefore I:
now appeals to the government of the
United States for cooperation for the /
purpose Of seeking to bring about a /
discrimination of the violations Of (
international law at least so far as the |
same concerns fiTst-cla mail, and ii |
solicits as early an answer as posi-
Bile, whether your excellency is willing
TO take appropriate action in coop
Grafton with the royal government
and eventually the governments of
other neutral countries. for the pur-
pose of causing that the rule which
the question involves--and which is
one OF the fundamental stipulations of
international law--be observed.