The Raymer enterprise., 1916-06-01
STOP SELLING MAIL.
Y. 9. NOTIFIES BRITAIN AND
FRANCE IN VIGOROUS NOTE.
"lawless Practice" on Seas mo
Longer Can BE Tolerated." and
Allies Are Warned to Change
Policy.
Western Newspaper Union News Service.


Washington, May 29.-The text of
the communication addressed to the
British and French ambassadors. 70
whom 1t was delivered Wednesday, in
part follows:
Department of State. Washington.
May "a 19ls.-Excellency; I have the
honor to acknowledge receipt of your
excellency's note of April last, trans
mitting memorandum dated February
Is. 1916. and communicated in SUBJ
stance to the American ambassador In
London on February 2Sth In which are
stated the contentious Of the British
and French governments In regard to
the right to detain and examine par
Gel and letter mails en- route by sea
between the United States and Eu-
rope
After a discussion Of the use OF the
malls for the transmission of parcels
and OF the Limitations to be placed on
inviolable.' the joint memorandum OF
February Is closes with the following
assertions:
+ Il. That from the standpoint of the
right Of visitation and eventual arrest
and seizure, merchandise shipped In
post parcels needs not and shall not be
treated otherwise than merchandise
shipped in any other manner.
%. That the inyiolability OF postal
correspondence stipulated by the elev-
enth convention of The Hague of 1907
does not In any way affect the right of
the allied governments to visit and, IL
occasion arise, arrest and seize mer
chandise hidden In the wrappers. en-
yelopes or letters contained in the mall
bags.
"3. That true to their engagements
and respectful of genuine correspond
ence' the allied governments will re-
frain for the present. on the high seas.
respondence, letters or dispatches and
will insure their speedest possible
transmission, as soon as the sincerity
Of their character shall have been as
certained."
Allies Contention Rejected.
IN reply the government OF the
United States. desires to state that 1t
does not consider that the postal union
convention OF 1905 necessarily applies
to the Interference by the British and
French governments with the oversea
transportation Of mails OF which the
government of the United States COM
plains.
Furthermore, the allied powers APP
puar to have overlooked the admission
Of the government Of the United States
that post parcels may be treated as
merchandise subject to the exercise of
belligerent rights as recognized by In
ternational law. But the government
OF the United States does not admit
that such parcels are subject to the
exercise OF the rights Of police super
vision, visitation and eventual seizure
which belongs to belligerents with ref
erence to all cargoes on the high seas,
as asserted in the joint note under ac'
acknowledgement.
Right Of Search Limited.
1T Is noted with satisfaction that the
British and French governments do not
claim. and, In the opinion OF this gov
ernment, properly do not claim, that
their so-called blockade measures are
sufficient grounds upon which to base
a right to interfere with all classes of
mail matter in transit to or from the
central powers.
"On the contrary. their contention
appears to be that as genuine CORES
spondence' is under conventional stipu-
lation 'inviolable.' mail matter OF other
classes is subject to detention and ex-
animation. While the government Of
the United States agrees that genuine
correspondence mail Is inviolable. 1t
does not admit that belligerents may
search other private sea-borne mails
for any other purpose than to discover
whether they contain articles Of enemy
ownership carried on belllgerent ves-
sells or articles OF c0ntraband trans
mitted under sealed cover as letter
man. though they may intercept at sea
all mails coming out Of or going into
ports of the enemy's coasts which are
effectively blockaded.
Malls Seized In Port.
"The governments Of the United
States, Great Britain and France. how
l..,N. Nal
ment as TO principle. The method Of
applying the principle is the chief
cause Of difference
Though giving assurances that they
consider genuine correspondence to be
inviolable.' and that they will. true to
their engagements refrain on the
high seas from selling and confscat-
Ing such correspondents the allied
governments proceed to deprive nau-
trail governments Of the benefits of
these assurances by seizing and cor.
fiscating mall from vessels In port in
stead OF at sea.
They compel neutral ships without
Just cause. to enter their own ports or
they induce shipping lines through
some form of duress to send their mall
ships via British ports. or they detain
all vessels merely calling at British
ports--th hus acquiring hy force or nn-
tustiflable means an illegal Jurisdic-
ton.
Censorship AHsailed.
Acting upon this enforced jurisdic
tion, the authorities remove all mail
genuine correspondence as well as
post parcels; take them to London
where every piece. even though OF neu-
tral origin and des,iGation. is opene1
and critically examined. to determine
the sincerity of their character In
accordance with the Interpretation Civ
en- that underlined phrase by the Brit
ish and French censors. Finally. the
expurgated remains Is forwarded fire.
quently after irreparable delay. to its
destination.
ships are detained en- route to or
from the United States or to or from
other neutral countries. and mails are
held and delayed fer several dal IS and,
In some cases for weeks and even
months. even though not routed to
ports OF North Europe. Via British
pprts
"Thls has been the procedure which
rouncement Of February H. 1916. To
some extent. the same practice was fol-
lowed before that date, calling for the
protest OF this government or January
I. 1915 But to that protest the mem
orandum under Judgement
mikes no reference and is entirely
nm = sponsive.
United states Insists an Position. !.
The government OF the United
states must again insist with emphasi !
that the British and French govern
ments do not obtain rightful turisdlc-