South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-07-31

The announcement that His
britannia Majesty's government has
placed the names of certain per-
sons. firms and corporations in the
United States upon a prescriptive
blacklist and has forbidden all
financial OF commercial dealings be
tween them and citizens of Great
Britain has been received with the
most painful surprise by the peO-
pie and government of the United
States and seems 70 the government
of the United States 10 embOdy
policy OF arbitrary interference
with neutral trade against which it
is its duty 10 protest in the most
decided terms. The scope and eff
feet of the policy are extraordinary
British steamship companies Will
not accept cargoes from the pro-
scribed firms or persons or trans
port their goods 10 any port, and
steamship lines under neutral own
ership understand that if they ac-
cept freight from them they are
likely 10 be denied coal at British
ports and excluded from other priv
ileges which they have usually en-
joyed. and may themselves be put
on the blacklist. Neutral bankers
refuse TO answer to those on the
list and neutral merchants decline
TO contract for their goods, fearing
a like prescription. 1t appears that
British officials regard th- prohibi-
tiOns Of the blacklist as applicable
to domestic commercial transac-
tons in foreign countries as we'll as
in Great Britain and her depen-
denotes. for Americans doing bust
ness in foreign countries have been
put on notice that their dealings
with blacklisted firms are to be re-
garded as subject to veto by the
British government BY the same
principle Americans in the United
States might be made subject to
similar punitive action if they were
found dealing with any of their
own countrymen whose names had
thus been listed.
Disastrous Effects Obvious.
The harsh and even disastrous
effects of this policy upon the trade
of the United States and upon the
neutral rights upon which it will
not fail TO insist are obvious. Up
on the list of those prescribed and
in effect shut out from the general
commerce of the world may be
! found American concerns which are
engaged in large commercial Oper-
atoms as importers of foreign pro-
| ducts and materials and as distribu-
tors of American products and
manufactures to foreign countries
and which constitute important
channels through which American
trade reaches the outside world.
Their foreign affiliations may have
| been fostered for many years, and
/ when once broken cannot easily or
promptly be reestablished. other
concerns may be put on the list at
any time and without notice Ii is
understood that additions TO the
prescription may be made when
ever on account of enemy national
lily or enemy association of such
persons or bodies of persons it APP
pears to his majesty expedient TO
/ do so. The possibilities OF unde-
/ served injury 10 American citizens
/ from such measures, arbitrarily
| taken, and of serious and incalcu-
liable Interruptions of American
trade are without limit.
1T has been stated on behalf of
/ his majesty's government that
\ their measures were aimed only at
the enemies of Great Britain and
would be adopted and enforced
with strict regard TO the rights of
/ neutrals and with the least posi-
bic detriment TO neutral trade, but
I it is evident that they are inevitably
! and essentially inconsistent with
the rights Of the citizens of all the
nations not involved in war. The