Arizona republican., 1916-04-21
PRINCIPLES Of
UNITED STATES
NOT DISPUTED
IRepublican A. p. Leased wIrel

WASHINGTON, April 29.-Accord-
ing to authentic information reaching
Washington, Great Britain and France
in their joint note replying to the
American protest against interferences
with neutral trade make NO attempt
TO dispute principles commended for by
the United States but insist that those
principles have been given legal inter-
probation and application by the allies
in their blockade of Germany and
Austria.
This note. which will be handed to
The state department with in the next
day or two by the British and French
ambassadors is said to be long and
extremely technical the reading of the
whole subject on a purely legal basis
and replying largely upon the pre-
cedents laid down by the United States
in TIE civil war. 1t is said the allies
assume that the United States govern
! ment does rot contend that it has the
right to ship goods without restric-
| tions into Germany or Austria through
+ contiguous countries, such as Hol-
! land. Sweden and Denmark.
The concession of the right to block
ace an enemy country which is univer-
sally recognized is regarded as neces-
sarily carrying with it the right to
regulate the admission of goods to the
neutral countries, evidently destined to
be transf erred to the enemy. Con-
sequently It is contended that it is
| perfectly within the sphere of internal
tional law TO limit imports into neu-
trail countries such as Holland of
goods that might be of use to Germany
and Austria to the amount normally
consumed in the neutral country.
Moreover il is argued thar an inc.-
dent to the exercise of this right tC
regulation of imports is the right tc
search vessels approaching the neu.
i trail country Ir this connection the
allies hold that while in early DAYS
il was possible to conduct such a search
ut sea, conditions of modern sea traf
fic have made this impossible: hence
it has become necessary to take tn,
neutral ship to the nearest conven.
lent port where the cargo may b,
examined. This is the explanation of
fered for the apparent unrea sonabl
/ diversion Of many ships from thei
regular courses and what has bee
complained Of as an unnecessary de
lay in search. 1t was with a view t
reducing complaint on this score,
is pointed out. that arrangements wer
; made for the the British embassy her
III
l shippers whether their cargoes prob
ably would be subject to detention.
| Another point made by the allies
that the character of ships papers hav
changed completely owing to moder
commercial methods. so that no longe
can they be relied upon to supply a
the evidence necessary to establis
the character of cargo and its liza
bility to seizure, The practice
conslgning goods to order. or to in
dividuals in neutral countries who al
not the real customers of the goot
but are actually distributing agent
and forwarders of the enemy countr
the allies insist, has made it necessal
in cases where neutral ships are dc
tanned, to refer their cases to pri5
coIrts for examination instead of at
cepting the ships papers at their faC
| value
Complaint by the United States tn;
the price courts cannot be recognize
as competent to render final decision
in the cases of seized or detained ye
sells and cargoes. is met by the refe
ence to the recent decision in EnglaI
to that effect that prize courts mu
he governed by the principles of il
ternational law and where orders
cornell conflict the latter must gil
way
Ii There is also. it is pointed out,
acknowledgment Of the right of {
neutral power, whose ship is seized
appeal 10 the highest judicial tribun
and even to take up the case diplom
| tically if dissatisfied. This. il is poin
ed out was the position assumed
the United States government duri
the civil war in the famous Bermu
cases, when the British governme
waited three wears for decision
the United States supreme court
the Spring Box case