Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1916-04-29
NEW BRITISH NOTE
PLEDGES ALLIES
TO RESPECT TRADE:
IMPARTIAL INFLUENTIAL COM
MISSION NAMED TO WORK
OUT PLANS.
AND ALSO MAKE RESTRAINTS AS
LITTLE 5URDENsOME AS
POSSIBLE.
TO LEAD IN THE NEUTRAL
COMBINATION.
Wants America To Lead.

WASHINGTON, April 25.-In "
Great Britain's latest reply 10 ,
Americas protests against bellig- .
u erent restraint Of neutral shipping
ii is stated: y
His Majesty's Government .
would welcome any combination =
of neutral nations under the lead g
= of the United States which would =
exert an effective influence TO pre- =
vent the violation of neutral y
rights, and they cannot believe =
that they or their allies have =
much to fear from any combina- :
ton for the protection of those >
rights which takes an impartial :
and comprehensive view of the Y
conduct of this war and judges 1t =
e by a reasonable Interpretation of "
the generally accepted provisions q
IF international law and by the q
rules OF humanity that have hith. =
erto been approved by the civil y
lied world" 80
+ 3 3 # 8 + > e
WASHINGTON, April 2G.-The
Attest British note in answer to
American protests against allied in
reference with neutral trade-13. 900
words long and made public last
night at the state department--con-
ENDS that the practices complained OF
ire "judicially sound and valid" and
hat the relief neutrals seek is to be
obtained by mitigation of necessary
hardships rather than by abrupt
changes either in the theory or ap-
)lication of policy based upon adj
nitted principles of international
'aw carefully adjusted to the altered
conditions of modern warfare"
1t is disclosed that IAN impartial
md influential commission" has been
appointed to find ways to minimize
lelays. and pledges the allies to make
heir restraints on trade as little bur
lensome to neutrals as possible.
French Government Concurs.
The note, in which the Grench gov
,rnment concurs. reiterates the mill
tary necessity of regulating COM
merce to neutrals contiguous to Ger
many and justilies the effectiveness
If the blockade. which was chal-
'enged by the last American note.
More diplomatic correspondence
over the issue is expected to follow.
The unanimity of sentiment among
1eutrals for the protection of neutral
lights is recognized in the British
note. which refers to the subject in
,erms embracing not the rights of
trade alone. 1t says in conclusion:
"His Majesty's government have
noted with sincere satisfaction the in
imation contained in the concluding
passages of the United States note
If the intention of the United States
o undertake the task of championing
he integrity of neutral rights.
"The first act of this war was the
lnproryoked invasion by the enemy of
neutral territory-that of Belgium
which he was solemnly pledged by
treaty to protect q The disre-
gard of neutral rights has since been
extended to naval warfarer by the
wanton destruction of neutral mer-
chant ships of the high seas regard
less of the lives of those on board.
At the outset the note suggests that
the American complaint is not so
much that shipments intercepted
really were intended for use in Euro
Dean neutral countries to which they
were forwarded as that the despatch
If goods TO Great Britains enemy had
been frustrated by methods not
hitherto employed by belligerents.