The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-10-13
Identic Notes Received by
State Department, But
Text Not Given Out
RENEWING PROMISE
TO MINIMIZE DELAY
This Understood to Be Tone of Com
munication, But 1t Is Thought no
Concessions Are Made Be-
yond This Point

Washington, October 12.-Identic mem
orandums from the British and French
governments replying to the American
protest against seizure of neutral mails
was delivered today to the state depart
ment by the embassies here. The text
was not made public but the allies are
understood to give renewed promises that
every effort will be made to minimize
delay and annoyance caused by examina-
ton, but to insist upon certain legal
rights in regard to mails which the
United States has denied.
The pricipal complaint of the American
government has been based on the con-
tention that many vessels have been di-
verted from the high seas to British
ports in order to give the British censors
jurisdiction. There is no indication that
the new memorandum makes any conces-
sion of principle on that point.
CLAIM OF ALLIES
The allies claim that as the United
States admits the right of censorship
for purely war purposes, it cannot right
fully object to reasonable delays inevi-
table to that censorship. The new com
munication is the second to come from
the allies in the mail controversy, which
began January 4, with the United States
entering a vigorous protest against ''un-
warranted interference with inviolabie
mail" which was regarded as ''vexa-
ciously inquisitorial The allies replied
on February 10, citing numerous cases
where contraband had been shipped to
Germany by parcel post and stating that
parcel post therefore must be considered
not as mail, but as ordinary merchandise.
1t was promised however, that the allies
would refrain on the high seas from
Selling letter mail"
On May "a the United States replied by
complaining vigorously against the allies
method of applying the principle and by
declaring the allied governments had pro-
ceeded Ito deprive neutral governments
of the benefits of these assurances by
forcing vessels OFF their course into BritS
ish ports in order to gain jurisdiction. =
STATE DEPARTMENT IMPATIENT
Officials of the state department be-
come impatient at the long delay of the
allleS IN answering the note or May a.
While awaiting the reply the department
has been gathering information from
American business men and diplomatic
agents and is understood to be in a po-
sition to make further complaints. I'M
official explanations of the delay have
attributed it largely to a desire that GER
tain changes in censorship methods, such
as the placing of shipping papers in
special marked packages in order to ex-
pedte them through the censors' office,
be giving a working trial. 1t is believed
attention is called to these changes in
the new memorandum. American Off
Gals have carefully refrained from ex-
pressing any opinion as to what effect
these measures would have on the atti-
tude of the American government. Tt is
expected that the text of the allies COM
munication will be made public later by
agreement between the governments con
cerned.
The state department has been advised
that the British reply to the American
blacklist protest soon will be delivered
here. There has been no indications as
to it's contents.