The state herald., 1916-06-02
STOP SEEING MAIL
Y. .. norlFIEs BRITAIN AND
RANCE IN VIGOROUS NOTE.
"Lawless Practice" on Seas mo
Lonaer Can BE Tolerated." and
Allies Are Warned to Change
Policy.
we4,,rn Newspaper Union New. Service.

Western Newspaper Union News Service.
Washington, May 29.-The text OF
the communication addressed to the
British and French ambassadors, TO
whom 1t was delivered Wednesday, in
part follows:
Department of State. Washington.
May "a, 1y16.-Exccllency: | have the
honor to acknowledge receipt of your
excellency's note of April last. trans
hitting memorandum dated February
10, 1916, and communicated in sub
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.
eel and letter malls en- route by sea
between the United States and Eu-
rope.
After n discussion OF the use of the
mails for the transmission of parcels
and of the limitations to be placed Oh
inviolable, the joint memorandum OF
February 15 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
''2. That the inviolability 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. II
occasion arise. arrest and seize mer
chandise hidden In .he wrappers. an
velopes or letters contained in the mail
bags.
's. That true to their engagement,s
and respectful of genuine correspond
ence' the allied governments Will re-
frain for the present, on the high seas,
from seizing and confiscating such cor.
respondence. letters or dispatches and
will insure their speediest possible
transmission, as soon as the sincerity
of their character shall have been as
certnined."
Allies Coutentisn Rejected.
TN reply the government of the
United States desires to state that II
does not consider that the postal union
convention of 1906 necessarily applies
to the Interference by the British and
French governments with the oversee
transportation OF mails OF which the
government OF the United States com
plains.
.Furthcrmore. the allied powers ap-
pear to have overlooked the admission
OF the government OF the United States
that post parcels may be treated as
merchandise subject to the exercise oil
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 belfigcrcnts with rel
erence to all cargoes on the high seas
as asserted In the Joint note under ac
acknowledgement.
Rlsht sf search linited.
.'It is noted with satisfaction tiat the
n~I tuh nd n ln mol
claim. and. In the opinion. OF this gov.
ernment, properly do not claim, thai
tha4 no o-cnlled blockade measures are
sufl lJelent grounds upon which to bass
mail matter In transit to or from th'
''On tie contrary. their contention
appears to be that ms genuine CORES
IatIon Invloinbie.' mall matter of othei
classes IL subject to detention and ex
animation. while the government o
the United States agrees that 'genuin'
correspondence mall IL inviolnbie. J
does not admit that beiiigercnts M,
search other private sea-borne maiii
| for any other purpose than to discover
| whether they contain articles OF enem,
| ownership carried on bcliigerent YES
| sells or articles of contrabnnd trnns
mail. though they may intercept NJ Sc
all malls coming out of or foinE Int
| ports of tho cnemy's coasts which nr'
effectively biockadod.
Malls seised In Port.
The governments of the United
States. Great Britain and FRANCE. how
ever. appear to be In substantial agree
| ment ms to principle. The method o
applying the principle is the chic
cause of difference.
Though giviig assurances that the,
consider genuine eorresponnnne. 10 ~
inyioinble.' and that they Will true Y
their engagements refrain 'on IN
high sens from seixing and confiscnt
| Ing such correspondence. the niiie'
| governments proceed to deprive nfv
trnl governments OF the ben"iits
these assurances by Selling and cor
| fiscAtlng mail from vessels In port In
They compel neutral ships withou
| lust cause. to enter their own ports o
they Induce shipping lines. througl
som. form OF duress TO send their mai
ships via British ports. or they detail,
| nli vessels merely calling Mt Britis'
ports-thus acquiring by force ~ IN
justiflablc means an Illegal jurlsdic
| tion.
Csnsorshtp Asssiird.
Acting upon this enforced Jurisdic
| tIon, the authorities remove nll mall
peuuin. correspondence nn wen n
| most parcels; take them to London
where every piece. even thouHh OF h"u
trnl origin ana dertlhniiohs W "pNn''
and critically examined. Ia dotermin
the sincerity OF their character. u
accordance with the Interpretation siv
on that undcfipcd phrase BY III. Brit
lrh and French cenrorr. Finnfy. IN
rspurpnted remains In forwarded. fro
au.ntiy after irreparnbie delay. to II
| destination,
"shipr nrc detained en- route TO o
| from the United States or to or fror
| other neutral countries. and mails ~
held and delayed for several DAYS and
In some eases, for weeks. and eve
| months, even though not routed
ports OF North Europe. via BritiS
| ports.
This has been the procedure whic
| has been prncti iced since the an
nouncemcnt OF February 10. 1915 T.
| somc extent. tho same prnetlr" was fol
| lowed before that date calling for IN
protest OF this government Of Jnnunr
I. 1918. BI. TO that rroten, The mem
| orandum u-d~r ACKNOWLEDGING
makes no reference and II entirei
unr. sponsivr.
Uaitsa states Iaststs .es t'sssti"n.
The government Of the Unite
states must again insist with cmphasl
| thnt IN. Uritish and French govern