Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-01-16
BLOCKADE TO Be
PROCLAIMED BY
GREAT BRITAIN
Formal Decree Closing the Ports Of
Germany and It's Allies is to
Supersedes the Orders
in Council.
INNOVATION DOES NOT WORK
Attempt to Substitute New British
Code for Law Of the Sea is
Not a Success.
AMERICAN REVIEWS SITUATION

LONDON, Jan. 15.-That Great
Britain will soon announce the es-
tablishment OF an actual blockade
OF Germany and its allies thereby
supcrceding the condition which had
been established by the orders in
council, was the statement made to-
day by Americans, who have been
In close contact with the machinery
OF the British orders in council in
consequence OF their acting here as
representatives of American ship
pers whose business had been af-
fccted by the execution of the orders.
A person who can speak authoritatvely
and who has acted as a representative OF
American interests in connection with
British prize court proceedings, reviewed
today for the Associated Press the evolu-
iion OF the orders in counsel. lie said:
old Law 'NIust Govern.
THE British government shows an un-
mlsta kahle tendency now TO shift around
60 the persistent,y expressed American
contention that the international law
which prevailed before the present war
must ultimately govern Great Brtains
assertion OF It's sea power. II is well
known that when the war began the adj
mralty urged upon the foreign office tho
necessity for tho declaration of an ac-
tuRl blockade. but the latter beloved that
the susceptibilitlcs OF neutrals could be
better met by or,;ers In council, and. after
the adoption OF these. the government
began its interminahle agreements with
neutrals. These agreements might have
succeeded had It not been for the opposi-
| tion OF the United States. which took the
stand from the first that the orders in
council were illegal and that therefore
even yelled or sub rosa recognition OF
them. In forms similar to the Danish
agreement and tie Netherlands Overseas
trust would be surrender of American
sovereignty under International law. The
| smaller neutral states began TO chafe
| under the agrceiacnts.
The compromise out of court by the
British gpveFnnlapt with the Chicago
packers Is the best concrete evidence OF
tho modification Of the orders in council
to meet The conceptions of International
law existing before tho war.
New British Code Fails.
Great TlritaiSrs ATTEMPTS 10 snbstitute
a code OF its own that would not form
dangerous precedents when It may be a
neutral are doomed TO fail. and l should
CONTINUED on Page Two, Column Two)
not be surprised II tho. foreign office
adopts the course recommended by the
admiralty and declares an actual block
ade.
How strictly an actual blockade has
been enforced is a subject OF speculation.
There is no doubt in my mind that the
recent heavy shipments to Denmark. un-
der the Danish agreement, had a tre-
mendous effect in lowering the price OF
the German mark and there are many
strong adherents both in and out of Par
lament, OF the policy of letting Germany
import anything except actual contra
band, while keeping an ironclad barrier
against it's exports.
Even the British officials admit that
q declaration OF actual blockade would
have strong backing in American prece-
dents which are now lacking for tho
. orders in council"