Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1916-07-23
England 5 War Move to
Prohibit Firms Strength
enlng Germany
FORBIDDEN FIRMS
FOR CENTRAL POWERS
System Is Purely Domestic
Legislation, Says Eng
hsh Official.

- In reply to a number # critic,sps
which the publication Of list of 81
American individuals and firms with
winch English firms are forbidden to
do business under the trading with
the-enemy act has met IN America
and here. Lamirg Worthington
Evans. chief OF the department of for
eign trade Of the foreign office made
thc Following statement 10 the Asso-
ciatcd Press today:
The statutory list has been com
piled from one point of view only
namely to prohibit British citizens
from supporting firms which are
STRENGTHENING our enemies. The test
applied before putting a firm domi-
ciled in America on the statutory list
Is this: Is that firm by It's business
operations strengthening our enc
mics? If so, then british firms may
not support il
1T is one OF the principal lessons
OF tho world wal tnat the strength
of helligerent doas not consist only
in the resources ard supplies avail
able IN its own territories, but also
in those which 1t can draw from ncu-
tral countries. As result OF the
semi military organization which the
German government has imposed on
its comnerce ever German firm
seeling 10 do it's utmost to assist Ger
many in heI effort to dominate Eu-
rope. and the fact that they are estab-
lished in neutral countries in many
cases makes them more rormidable.
Must Frustraic Plans.
Can 1t then be said fairly that
when the British government is fully
aware of these activities 1t should do
nothing to Illustrate them? Can II be
f..g.. 1.
oring to frustratc them, they should
be actually assisted by British firms,
British cables, British banks and
British shipping lines?
1T may be pointed out that long be-
fore the British statutory black list
was put In operation the French gov
ernment prohibited its nationals from
doing any business with any enemy
subject. 1t can hardly be contended
that the statutory black list is more
onerous TO trade than the French sys-
tenn which long since was recognized
by International law.
Moreover, from strictly legal
points of view. the black list system is
"a piece OF purely domestic legislation
which simply prohibits British sub
jects from dealing with certain per.
sons. The right of any government to
impose such prohibition on its own
Objection has been taken to the
unpleasant publicity given the list, but
without such publicity far more dam
age would be likely to result to trade.
Before the adoption OF the statutory
black list there was an unofficial black
list in existence. Experience has shown
that uncertainty on the part OF both
British and neutral traders as to who
is and who is not on the black list
10 a nn nf
than the publication of the black list
Say List Unnecessary.
Compliant Is made that the statu-
tory list is unnecessary because the
same results might have been OBJ
tanned sub rosa. But If so done, il
would have affected not merely the
firms in the United States which now
figure in the statutory list. but also
others-probably all these of German
names whether they deserved II or
not, because British traders to whom
alono our prohibition is addressed.
would not have known the names Of
the prohibited firms and might out
Of caution have ceased dealing with a
much larger number.
1T has been said that it was a
blundcr TO publish the list when a
French loan was under way Clearly
II would saye been a llundcr to in
q lNit lIlt lIletuS Of our fItncn dllleS.
But Is it suggested that this blunder
has been committed!
ut is indeed only those who have
shown unmistkably that they are
enemies or acting for enemies who
are included. So We need not fear
that the support Of our French allies
vii! lie prcJudiced in those quarters.
"All the facts are carefully weighed
before the decision was arrived at,
and | have no doubt that there is not
a name on the list which is not there
on evidence which fully justified its
Inclusion
Mr. Exams denied that a sub rosa
black list now exists, the only basis
for such a charge ne said, being The
tact That certain firms IRE under sus-
picion and British traders therefore
have been warned TO be careful in
dealing with them Mr.. Evans also
pointed out that there are hardly
more than thirty entities IN the Amer
lean list. oue-tenth of the list being
occupied by the Kuauth Nachod &
Nuhue Co, as including tire directors.
they appear eight times. zimmerman
e FOrshay appear s.X times, Muller.
Schall & co. i've times NacLarcn &
Geutles four times. while other firms
apDear two or more times