The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1916-05-30

coatrary their contention appears to
be that though genuine correspond
ence is under conventional stipula-
ton 'inyiolable mail matter other
classes are subject to detention and
examination. While the government
OF the United States agrees that gen
uine correspondence mail is inviol-
able it does not admit that belliger-
ents may carry other private sea-
borne mails for any other purpose
tha, to discover whether they contain
articles of enemy ownership carried
on belligerent vessels or articles Of
contraband transmitted under sealed
co;er as letter mail, though they may
intercept at sea all mails conslgnea
out of and going into ports Of the
enemy's coasts which are effectively
blockaded. The governments Of the
United States, Great Britain and
France, however, appear to be in sub
stantial agreement as to principle.
The method of applying the principle
is the chief cause of difference.
Continue Their Course.
Though giving assurances that
thev consider genuine correspond
ence' to be 'inviolable' and that they
will. tr, to their engagements. re-
frain on the high seas from seizing
and confiscating such correspondence.
the allied governments, proceed to de-
prive neutral governments of the
benefits of these assurances by seiz-
ing and confiscating mail from YES
sells in port instead of at sea. They
compel neutral ships without just
cause to enter their own ports or
they induce shipping lines, through
some form of duress, to send their
mail ships via British ports, or they
detain of vessels merely calling at
British ports, thus acquiring by force
of uniustiiable means an illegal jur-
isdiction the authorities remove all
the mails, genuine correspondence as
well as. post parcels, take them to
London. where every piece, even
though of neutral origin and destina-
ton, is. opened and critically examined
to determine the. sincerity of their
character in accordance With the in
depreciation given that undetined
phrase by the British and French
censors. Finally the expurgated re-
mainder is forwarded frequently al
ter irreparable delay, to its. destina-
ton. hips are detained en- route to
or from the United tSates or to or
ton. Ships are detained en- route to
mails are held and delayed for sew
eral days and in some cases for weeks
or from the United States or to or
routed to ports of north Europe via
British ports. This has been the pro-
cedure which has been practiced
since the announcement of February
Is. 1916. To some extent the same
practice was followed before that
date, calling forth the protest of this
government on January 4, 1916. But
to that protest the memorandum un-
der acknowledgment makes no refer
ence and is entirely unresponsive.
Can't Recognize Claim.
s'The goFerlment of the United
States must again insist with en-
phasis that the British and French
governments do not obtain rightful
jurisdiction over ships by forcing or
inducing them visit their ports for
the purpose of selling their mails or
thereby obtain greater belligerent
rights as to such ships than they
there is, in the opinion of the govern
ther is, in the opinion of the govern
ment of the United States, no legal
distinction between 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
practice on the use by neutrals of the
worlds highways for the transmits
sion for correspondence. The prac-
tice actually followed by the allied
powers must be said to justify the
conclusion, therefore, that the an
nouncement of February Is was
merely notice that one illegal prac-
tice had been. abandoned to make
place for the development Of another
more onerous and vexatious.
"The present practice is violation
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