The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-05-27
Right to Seize Mails on High
Seas Between Neutral Ma
tons Is Not Admitted
AMERICAN INTERESTS
GROSSLY DAMAGED
Large Number of Cases Cited
in Which Seizure of Bona
Eide Neutral Mails Has
Worked Irreparable Injury

Washington, May 26-The State
department today made public ats
note OF protest against interference
with American mails by the al led
governments. The note was delivered
to both the British and French am
bassadors as their governments Join
ed in the memorandum of February
rs. seeking to justify this interfer-
ence.
Notice is served on Great Britain
and France that the United States
can no longer tolerate the wrongs''
practfced by those countries Only A
radical change in the British and
French policy viii satisfy this gov
eminent, the note 81 s. It adds that
the United States will press claims
for full reclamation for losses sus-
tanned -
While the note is not an ultima-
tum it was Officially announced at
the State Department that the United
states expect an early reply"
There are indications that the re-
ply OF the allied governments Will
force the matter to arbitration under
the Bryan treaties which are pointed
out by officials as a bar To ggres.
sive action.
Today's note denounces British and
French practices as an unwarranted
IL
the worlds highway for the trans
mission of correspondence. 1t Ia
charged that the allies have attempts
ca illegal Jurisdiction by force or I'm.
justinable means
Text of Protest.
The text OF the protest Of tho
United States TO Great Britain and
france against interference with
mails between this country and
Europe is as follows.
Department OF State
Washington, May "a. 1916.
Excellency:
have the honor TO ACKNOWLEDGES
receipt of your excellency's note 81
April 8. last, transmitting memo.
fandum dated February Is. 1919.
and communicated in substance I,
the American ambassador in Lon
don on February %. in which ara
stated the contentious OF thn Rr,ttss
aud French governments In regard l.,
I 'he right to detain and examine rsr-
Gel ana letter mails en- route nv 81,
between the United States ana
Europe. "tu
After discussion OF tho u~, 81 ~,
mails for the transmission % pa.
ceis and OF the limitations to be Ma
, go g on mvlo.a BILE mail" the to.9t
memorandum of February Is cIor@s
with the following assertions
Crux OF Joint Memorandum.
/ Il. That from the standroint ~
their right of visitation and even..*ai
arrest and seizure mercha ndisa
shipped in post parcels needs not ana
snail not be treated otherwise than
lnercnaholse shipped in any other
20 That the inviolabtlity 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 10 visit ana
II occasion arise arrest and seize ner-
chandise hidden in the wrappers. en-
velopes. or letters contained In the
mail bags
3. That true to their engagements
and respectful of genuine correspc.,-
dence. the allied governments v.sII
/ continue for the present to refrain
on the high seas from seizing ara
confscating such correspondence. let
ters, or dispatches. and will insre
their speediest possible transmission
as soon a s the sincerity of their char
acter shall have been ascsrtained.
The American Constitution.
In reply the United States gover--
ment desires to state that II does
not consider that tho postal union
convention OF 1906 necessarily aprli,s
70 the interference by the British and
IciIlt governments WITH the overs
sea transportation of mails OF which
the government OF the United States
complains Furthermore the allied
powers appear to have overlooked tho
admission of tho government OF the
United States that post parcels -.ay
be treated as merchandise subject to
the exercise OF belligerent rights az
recognized by International law. But
the government of tho United States
does not admit that such parcels are
subject to the exercise OF the rights
of police supervision. visitation, and
eventual seizure which belongs
20 heiligerents as to all cargoes on
the high seas as asserted In the joint
note under acknowledgment.
1t is noted with satisfaction that
the British and French governments
do not claim. that their so-caiied
blockade measures are sufilc.ent
grounds which TO base report -
II as to all classes OF mail matter In
transit to or freni the Central POwsFN
| On the contrary THAR eontentto4
appears to- be that a. senuina cnTs
respendsnoe 10 under conventional
lstipu1ation. tAvfsiabis. rail- uaattee RI
ether eloeaaa T. eahteet q A0e9no1e
- ~ r., -