The Raymer enterprise., 1916-06-01

tion OF ships by forcing or inducing
tnam to visit their ports, for the pur-
pose of seizing 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 he government of the
United States. no legal distinction be-
tween the seizure of mails at sea,
which Is announced as abandoned. and
their seizure from vessels voluntarily
or involuntarily in port.
The British and French practice
amounts to an unwarranted limitation
oi the use by neutrals OF the worlds
highway for the transmission OF cor
respondence, The practice actually fol-
lowed by the allied powers must be
said to Justify the conclusion. there
fore. that the announcement of Feb
ruary LIS was merely notice that one
Illegal practice had been abandoned to
make place for the development OF an
other more onerous and vexatious In
character.
Hague Rule Violated.
THE present practice is a violation
not only of the spirit Of the announce
ment OF February l5, but Of the rule
OF The Hague Convention, upon which
u Is concededly based. Aside from this,
II Is violation of the prior practice
OF nations which Great Britain and her
allies have in the past assisted to es-
tabiish and maintain.
The arbitrary methods employed bv
the British and French governments
have resulted most disastrously to citl-
gems of the United States. Important
papers which can never be duplicated,
or can be duplicated only with great
difficnlty. such as United States pat
ents for inventions. rare documents.
legal papers relating to the settlement
OF estates. powers of attorney. fire In.
suranee claims. income tax returns and
similar matters. have been lost.
Delays In receiving shipping docu-
ments have caused great loss and in
convenience by preventing prompt de-
livery of goods.
Business opportunities are lost by
failure to transmit properly bids, speci-
ficati0ns and contracts.
Money Order Lists Missing.
Business correspondence. relating
to legitimate and bona fide trade be-
tween neutral countries, correspond
ence of a personal nature. and also
certain official correspondence such as
forwarded by government departments. $.
are detained, lost or possibly de-
stroyed.
mot only are American commercial
interests injured, but rights of prop
erty are violated, and the rules Of In
ternat!onal law and custom are palp-
ably disregarded.
offense has led to such losses to
American citizens and to q possible
responsibility OF the United States t.
repair them. that this government will
be compelled In the near future to
press claims for full reclamation upon
the attention of His Majesty's goy-
crnment and that Of the French Re-
Iublic.
Details Of United States stand.
"The government of the United
States is inclined to the opinion that
the. class of mall matter which In
clnies stocks. bonds. coupons and sim
liar securities Is to be regarded as OF
thu same nature as merchandise or
Ut sHs q ticies Of property and subject
to the same exercise OF belligerent
rights. Money orders. checks, drafts
notes and other negotiable instru-
ments which may pass as the equiya-
lent of money are. It Is considered, also
to be classed as merchandise.
Correspondence. including shipping
documents. money order lists and pa
pers of that character. even though re-
lating to enemy supplies or exports,
unless carried on the same ship as the
property referred to, are. In the opin-
lon of this government, to be regard
ed as genuine correspondence" and en-
titled to unmolested passage
'"The government of the United
States. In view Of the improper meth
DDS employed by the British and
French authorities in interrupting
mails passing between the United
States and other neutral countries and
between the United States and the en-
emies of Great Britain, can no longe.'
tolerate the wrongs which citizens OF
the United States suffer and continue
to suffer through these methods.
Rights Must he Observed.
ITO submit to a lawless practice OF
this character would open the door to
repeated violations of International
law by the belligerent powers on the
ground of military necessity, of which
the violator would be the sole Judge.
Manifestly neutral nation cannot
permit its rights on the high seas to
be determined by belligerents or the
exercise of these rights to be permit
ted or denied arbitrarily by the gov
e.'nment Of warning nation.
The rights Of neutrals are as sa-
creu as the rights of belligercnts and
must be as strictly observed.
The government of the United
States. confident in the regard for in
ternational law and the rights of neu-
trails. which the British and French
governments have so often proclaimed
and the disregard of which they have
urged as vigorously against their en-
emies In the present war, expects the
present practice of the British and
=. anal, a.tfh hnr Inc N ran m
malls from or to the United States to
cease, and belligerent rights, as ex-
ercised, to conform to the principle
governing the passage Of mail matter
and to the recognized practice OF ma
tions.
only a radical change In the pres
ent British and French policy, restor-
ing to the United States its full rights
as neutral power, will satisfy this
government.
ROBERT LANSING"