New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-04-04
Present Reply to U.S..
Through British
Ambassador.
PARCEL POST
TO BE SEARCHED
No Legitimate Letters
Seized or Treaty Vio-
lated, Is Answer.

Washington, April 3.-The govern.
ments of the Entente Allies, through
Sir Cecil Spring Rice, the British Am.
bassador, presented TO Secretary Lam
sing to-day joint reply 20 the pro-
tests made by the United States against
the seizure, detention and censoring OF
neutral mails. II declared that no
legitimate letter mail had been con-
fscated nor any treaty rights violated
but emphatically asserted the Allies
intention to continue searching parcel
post packages for contraband "con'
cealed under postal folders"
In regard TO true correspondence
the note says. the Allied governments
will continue for the present to re-
frain from seizing and oonfiscating at
sea these correspondence, letters and
dispatches, and that they will insure
the most rapid transition OF them pos
sible as soon as the genuineness OF
their character is known"
The vigorous protest of the United
States against the treatment of neutral
mails was based largely on evidence in
the possession of the State Department
that. while mails had not always been
searched at sea, neutral ships, upon
being taken into British ports for in
spection. had their mails removed, de-
tanned and otherwise interfered with
The reply does not mention this phase
of the controversy.
Parcel Post Protest.
The protest was in the form OF a
memorandum of instructions 10 Ambas-
sador Page. at London. 1t stated spe-
officially that the American government
was inclined to consider that parcel
most shipmerts were subject to the
same treatment accorded goods sent by
freight or express.
Germany Made Hague Proposal.
at the time of the second confer
ence at The Hague, in 1907" the COM
m .nication says, "the German i'm
perial government pointed out that
since the telegraph offered to the bel
ligerents means of communication more
rapid and safe than the post, there
was no longer any interest in consid-
er;ng, as formerly, postal correspond
ence as liable to constitute articles OF
contraband by analogy, and in imped-
ing their shipment by seizure and con-
fiscation.
This proposition, in appearance so
pacific. having inspired confidence IN
the other powers, they adopted this
viewpoint The full article of the con-
vention. No. II, O. The Hague, 1907,
STIMULATES, as is known, that hence
forth postal correspondence is in
violable' on the sea.
In regard 20 parcel post shipments,
the communication says: Merchandise
shipped under the shape Of parcel post
must not and shall not be treated diff
ferently from the merchandise shipped
in any other way"
The Allied government assert their
right to search general mail in the fol-
lowing language:
THAT the inviolability of postal cor
respondence, stipulated by convention
No II of the Hague Treaty, 1907, car
ries by no means any preJudlces 20 the
right of the Allied governments 20 visit
and, if need be, TO stop and selze the
goods which are falsely deposited in the
covers, envelopes or letters contained
in ne mail sacks
The text of the Allies note, as made
public by the State Department to-
night, was in French. 1t is about two
thousand words long, and opens with
the statement that the treatment of
postal correspondence carried on the
Continued on page s. column