Bisbee daily review., 1916-04-04
Sir Cecil Spring-Rice Presents Joint Reply to Secretary
 Lansing on Question That Has Been Up for Months.
LETTER MAIL NOT TO
 BE INTERFERED WITH
Merchandise Sent in Parcel Post, However, Will Be Treated as Any Other Mer- chandise.
(sy Review Leased Wire.)

WASHINGTON, April 3.-The gov ernment of the Entente allies. through Sir Cecil SpringRice, the British ann bassador, presented to Secretary Lans- ing joint reply made by the United States against the seiZing and censor ing of neutral mails It declares that no legitimate letter mail has been con fiscated nor any treaty rights violat- ed but emphatically asserted that the allies intention to continue searching parcel post packages for contraband concealed under postal folders"
 In regard to true correspondence" |" the note says: The allied govern ment will continue for the present to refrain from seizing and censoring at sea these correspondence, letters and dispatches, and that they will in sure the most rapid trnsition of them possible as soon as the benuiness or their character is known"
 The vigorous protest of the United States against the treatment of neu- tral mails was based largely on avi- dence in the possession of the State Department that while mails had not always been searched at sea, neutral ships upon being taken into British ports for inspection had their mails removed, detained. and otherwise in- terferred with. The reply does not mention this phase of the complaint. The protest was in the form of a memorandum of instructions to Am bassador Page at London. It stated specifically that the American gov ernment was inclined to consider that parcel post shipments are subject to the same treatment accorded general mail. In regard to parcel post ship ments. the communication says "mer- chandise shipped under the shape of parcel post must not and shall not be treated differently from the merchan- disc shipped in any other way
 The allied governments assert their right to search general mail in the following statement:
 That the inviolability of postal correspondence. stipulated by conven- tion number II of The Hague Treaty. 1907, carries by no means any preJu- dices to the rights of the allied gov enrments to visit and if need be to- stop and seize the goods which are falsely deposited in the covers, envel- ops of letters. contained in the mail sacks"
 The text of the allies note made public by the State Department. was in French It is about 2,00O words long. and opens with the statement that the treatment of personal cor respondence has been durign the pres ent war. the cause of various uncer-
 
 ments think it wise to dispel criticism of their course.
 At the time of the escond confer ence at The Hague in 1sO7.' the statement says, the German Imperial government pointed out that since the telegraph offered to the belligerents means of communication more rapid and safe than the post, there was no longer any interest in considering. as formerly. postal correspondence, as able to constitute articles of contra band by analogy and in impeding their shipment by seizure, and confiscation-
 This DroDositiol, in appearance so racific. having been inspired by DOW CTS. they adopted this view point The article of the convention No. II of The Hague. 1907. stiuulates. as it known. that heneeforth postal cores pondence is inviolably on the seas.
 "A first observation must be made concerning the parcel post.
 "The sending of any merchandise by parcel Dost is way of shipping and the transportation same tO ship- hing and transportation tv means of shippiug bills or bills of lading. with fhe difterercp that this transpOrtation is undertaken hv postal service.
 "Cnch narcels can under m consid- 1 eration he considered as letters. cor respordence nr dispatches. and ii is i clear that nothing can save them from the exercise Of right to visit and eventual seizure which belong tol belligerents on the high seas in re- gard to all cargoes.
 "Among other numerous eyamDles. it will be sufficient to nnote. 1.222 marcel post packages containing to- oether 427.51O l5ilogrsms of rubber for Hamturo (steamprs Tiiuc. Pahi. lag-f uariha Naranhoa Acre. Linda. Para. and P-azin nr aoain. sivtv nine nar- cels containing 40O revolvers for Ger manv via Amsterdam (stemer Gelria (. |
 "Concerning this letters nr folders of envelones. or others. entrusted tol fhe postal service and commonly nnsted in inc postal hags of the postal adr,inietraticns of tho countries from which the shinning is made. the al- Iiad governments called the attention | rf tho neutral governnents tn the 'farr, necowbor q. 1914. to Decen'- har q 1915. the Garrnan or Austrian Hungarian naval authorities have de ]
 Continued on Page S)