The Oskaloosa herald., 1916-06-01

trary, their contention appears to be
that a genuine correspondence is un-
der conventional stipulation inviola-
BILE mail matter OF other classes is
subject to detention and examination.
While the government of the United
States agrees that genuine correspond
ence' mail matter is inyiolable, it does
not admit that belligerents may search
other private sea-borne mails for any
other purpose than to discover whether
they contain articles of enemy owner
ship carried on belligerent vessels or
articles of cOntraband transmitted UNI
der sealed cover as letter mail though
they may intercept at sea all mails
coming out and going into ports of the
enemy's coasts which are effectively
blockaded The governments of the
United States, Great Britain aud
France, however, appear to be in sub.
stantial agreement as to principle. The
method Of applying the principle is the
chief cause of difference.
Though giving assurances that they
consider genuine correspondence to
be inviolable,' and that they will, true
to their engagements refrain on the
high seas from Selling and confiscat.
ing such correspondence, the allied
governments proceed to deprive neu.
trail governments of the benefits of
these assurances by Selling and con-
tiscating mail from vessels in port in
stead 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 all vessels merely call
ing at British ports acquiring by force
or unjustifiable means an illegal juris-
diction. Acting upon this enforced jur-
isdiction, the authorities remove all
mails, genuine correspondence as we'll
where every piece, even though of neu-
trail origin and destination, is opened
and critically examined to determine
the sincerity Of their character in ac-
cordance with the Interpretation given
that underlined phrase by the British
and French censors. Finally Che ex.
purgated remainder is forwarded, fire.
quently after irreparable delay, to it's
destination. Ships are detained en-
route to or from the United States or
to or from other neutral countries and
mails are held and delayed for several
days and, in some cases, for weeks
and even months, even though not
routed to ports of north Europe via
British ports. This has been the pro-
cedure which has been practiced since
1916. To some extent the same prac-
tice was followed before that date, call
ing forSl the protest of this govern
mont on January 4, 1916. But to that
protest the memorandum under ac-
acknowledgement makes no reference and
is entirely unresponsive. The govern
ment of the United States must again
insist with emphasis. that the British
and French governments do not obtain
rightful Jurisdiction of ships by forcing
or inducing them to visit their ports
for the purpose of Selling their mails
or thereby obtain greater belligerent
rights as to such ships than they could
exercise on the high seas; for there
is, in the opinion of the government
of the United States, no legal distinc-
ton between the seizure Of mails at
sea, which is announced as abandoned,
and their seizure from vessels volun-
tarily or involuntarily in port The
British and French practice amounts
to an unwarranted limitation of the
use by neutrals of the worlds highway
for the transmission of correspond.
ence. The practice actually followed
by the allied powers must be said to
justify the conclusion, therefore, that
the announcement of February Is was
merely notice that one illegal practice
had been abandoned to make place for
the developments Of another more
onerous and vexatious in character"