Rocky Ford enterprise., 1916-06-02
STOP SEEING mail
U. 8. NOTIFIES BRITAIN AND
FRANCE IN VIGOROUS NOTE.
"Lawless Practice" on Seas mo
Longer Can Be Tolerated." and
Allies Are Warned to Change
Policy.
Western Newspaper Union News Service.

Western Newspaper Union News Service.
Washington. May 29.-The text of
the communication addressed to the
British and French ambassadors, TO
whom it was delivered Wednesday, in
part follows:
Department of State. Washington.
May "a. 1016.-EXcellency: l have the
honor to acknowledge receipt of your
excellency's note of April last. trans
hitting a memorandum dated February
Is, 1916, and communicated in sub
stance to the American ambassador in
London on February 2Sth. in which are
stated the contentious of the British
and French governments in regard to
the right to detain and examine par
Gel and letter mails en- route by sea
between the United States and Eu-
rope.
After n discussion of the use of the
mails for the transmission of parcels
and a. , Of the Limitations % to be placed on on
February Is closes with the following
assertions:
Il. That from the standpoint of the
right of visitation and eventual arrest
and seizure, merchandise shipped in
post parcels needs not and shall not be
treated otherwise than merchandise
.2. That the inviolability of postal
correspondence stipulated by the elev-
enth convention of The Hague of 1907
does not in any way affect the right OF
the allied governments to visit and. IL
occasion arise, arrest and seize mer
chandise hidden in the wrappers, IN.
velopes or letters contained in the mail
bags. - ,,., n,,,nou,.n,s
and respectful of genuine correspond
ence' the allied governments VIII re-
frain for the present, on the high seas,
from SELLING and confiscating such cor.
respondence. letters or dispatches ana
Ia
transmission. as soon as the sincerity
of their character shall have been as
certained."
Allies Contention Rejected.
"In reply the government Of the
United States desires to state that It
convention of 1906 necessarily applies
to the Interference by the British and
French governments with the oyersea
transportation of mails of which the
government OF the United States COM
plains ,, -
Of the government of the United States
that post parcels may be treated as
merchandise subject to the exercise OF
ternational law. But the government
of the United States does not admit
that such parcels are subject to the
vision, visitation and eventual seizure
which belongs to belligerents with ref
erence to all cargoes on the high seas,
as asserted in the Joint note under ac =
acknowledgement.
Right of Search Limited.
at is noted with satisfaction that the
British and French governments do not
claim, and, In the opinion of this gov.
ernment, properly do not claim. that
their so called blockade measures are
sufficient grounds upon which to base
| right to Interfere with all classes OF
| mali matter in transit to or from the
"On the contrary. their contention
appears to be that as genuine cores
spondence' is under conventional stipu-
classes is subject to detention and ex-
animation. While the government of
| the United States agrees that genuine
does not admit that beiiigerents may
search other private a-borne maiis
| for any other purpose than TO discover
whether they contain articles OF enemy
sells or articles of contraband trans
mitted under sealed cover as letter
mall. though they may intercept & at a sea
ports of the enemy's coasts which are
effectively blockaded.
Malls Seized In Port.
THE governments of the United
States, Great Britain and France. how
ever. appear to be In substantial , aihd agree, e,
applying the principle is the chief
cause of difference.
Though giving assurances that they
consider genuine correspondence to be
inviolable.' and that they VIII. true 10
their engagements. refrain on the
high seas from seizing and eontisGaat,
ing such correspondence. the allied
governments proceed to deprive neu-
trail governments of the benefits OF
these assurances by seizing and con
fiscating mail from vessels IN port IN
stead of at sea.
They compel neutral ships without
Just cause, to enter their own ports or
some form of duress. to send their man
ships via British ports: or they detain
all vessels merely calling at BRUSH
ports-thus acquiring by force or un-
justifiable means an illegal 1urisdic-
ton.
Censorship AssaIled.
Acting upon this enforced jurisdic.
tion. the authorities remove an man.
post parcels: take them to London,
where every piece. even though of neu,
trai origin and distinction, ,nd ,oriea Is opehiea
the sincerity of their character. in
accordance with the Interpretation giv-
en- that underlined phrase by s,na,sv ,he BTU ,he
quentiy after irreparable delay. to its
"ships are detained en- route to or
from the United States or to or from
other neutral countries. and mails are
held and delayed Tor several Gays, anu
In some cases, for weeks, and even
months. even though not routed TO
ports of North Europe. via British
ports.
This has been the procedure which
has been practiced since the an
nouncement of February Is. 1916. To
some extent, the same practice was fol-
lowed before that date. calling for the
protest of this government of January
I, 1916 But to that protest the MEM
orandum under acknowledgement
makes no reference and Is entS'ely
unresponsive.
UnIted states Insists on Position.
THE government of the United
states must again insist with emphasis
that the British and French govern
ments do not obtain rightful jurisdic-