The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-05-22
No Reference to Blockade in
the Communication.
U. S. COMMERCE THREATENED
Continued Interference a Big
Handicap to Trade.
Breaking Seals Termed Fla
grant Abuse of Power.

Washington, May 22.@The note of
protest against interference by the al
lies with United States mails will be
forwarded to Ambassador Page Tues
day or Wednesday 1t will be held
for cabinet consideration before it is
cabled to London.
1t was learned today that the pro-
test which was prepared last week and
was ready to go Tuesday has been ma
terially revised. The original inten-
Of attack against interference with the
mails as well as against the blockade
The blockade feature is dropped in
the new note.
In explanation of this, it was pointed
out in official circles today that the
not confined to a question to which
there could practically be no answer
but surrender.
To Make Issue Clear.
1t was explained that if interference
with the mails should be considered in
relation to the blockade, the British an
swer would lay stress on the blockade
and put the interference with mails in
a secondary place. Great Britain 8
justification of this would be that be-
cause mail packages have been sent
into prize court, the subject of the
mails therefore is linked with the
rules and regulations under the orders
in council establishing the blockade.
To avoid giving Great Britain OPP
portunity for thus confusing the issues
the while tenor of. the forthcoming
note will be that the mail violation
complained of goes to the root of in
ternational law and that its obligations
cannot be changed at will either by
Great Britain acting alone or with a
group of nations
A high official discussing the mail
abuses, and outlining the administra-
tons protest, said:
| The main and fragrant abuse of
the law of nations is the act of break
| ing seals. If that is allowed to con-
tinue there will be an end to seaborne
commerce
Commerce at Stake
I'VE propose to show that the sane
1 tity of the mails is more important
as first consideration than COM
merce itself, for the obvious reason
| that commerce can be carried on, in
this case with the allies, only with
their consent. The fact that they can
| open sealed packages and first class
mails generally is only another way
of saying that you cannot deal with
! neutrals or our enemies unless we
read your letters
| There is no binding the fact that
the practice of interfering with first
class mails and breaking the seals in
discriminatory on mails to and from
ports controlieo Dy the allleS means
that the United States might as well
suspend commerce with the Eastern
| hemisphere.
The position of the United States
| is that breaking seals on mail in YES
sells which touch at English ports, or
| which are taken into port from the
| high seas to search for contra band
and the exercise of inquisition over
mails carried by these vessels has no
| warrant of any kind of international
law 1t is especially obnoxious to and
! contradictory of the one thing which
| all nations agreed at The Hague
| that the mails are inviola BILE
/ The strength of the new America
note, it is said, is due largely to in
! Vulnerable complaints from CONNER
cial interests both at home and abroad
| against the practice of making private
and first class mail subject to the
municipal laws of any country.