, 1916-05-31

~ 'NDiAAb wv rev 'N|"N
ter would open the door to repeated viola
tons of International Law by the beligerent
Powers on the grounds Of military necessity
Of which the Violator would be the sole Judge.
Manifestly n neutral nation cannot permit its
rights to the high seas to be determined by
bell gerents, or the exercise of these rights to
lie permitted or denied arbitrarily by The
Government Of q warning nation. The rights
OF neutrAls are as sacred Is the rights Of beili-
gelents and must be as strictly observed.
The Government OF the United States, conf
dent in the regard for international Law
and the rights Of %neutrnls which the British
aud French Governments have SO often pro-
claimed and the disregard Of which they
have urged SO vigorously against their enc
mics in the present War, expects the present
practice of the British and Erench authOri-
ties in the Treatment of mails from or
to the United States to cease and belli-
gerent rights as exercised to conform TO
the principle governing the passage of
mail matter and 10 the recognized proc-
tice Of nations. Only Il radicui change
in the present British and French policy res
tolipg to the United States it's full rights as
u neutral Power viii satisfy this Govern.
ment. l have etc. (signed) Robert Lansing.
Paris, May 27th.-Otficial sta ement issued
by the French War Office this afternoon is
as follows In the Argonne, at Hill 285 and
Huute Chevauchee, we have occupied the
southern lips Of three craters made 10y the
explosion Of German mines. On the lett
bank of The Meuse, the bombardment has
been rather lively in the region to the east
of Dead Mans Hill. On the right bank of
the Meuse and in the Woevre heights, in
teruittent artillery fighting took place.
III Alsace, two attempts on the part
of the Germans to advance northeast
of Balschweiier and northwest OF Att
jirch have been repulsed. On the rest of
the front there have been the usual cannon
aiding.
Paris, May 27th The Official communica-
ton issued by the Wan Office tonight reads:
South of the Somme, the concentrated fire
Of our batteries destroyed several shelters
OF the enemy and damaged his trenches. In
the Champagne, both artillery forces were
very active in the sectors of Ville-sur-I0urs,
Tahure. and Novarin. About six o'clock in
the evening the Germans directed an attack
against our position, to the west OF the
road from Navarin and gained a toorng in
several small posts Of our advanced lines,
from which counter-attacks drove them out
completely. On the left bank Of She Meuse
there was fighting with artillery ana trench
guns in the Avocourt wood and Ill the sec
tor of Hill 304. To the south west of LIE Mort
Homme we captured several sectors at
trenches and made about so prisoners. The
number of prisoners captured i'll the course
of our attack on Cumieres has reached about
100. Two muchine-guns remained in our
hands. On the right bank of the Meuse,
the Commandment has been maintained with
intensity in the region Haudremout and
D~ouaumont. In the underground passa ge-
ways to the northwest OF Ihiaumont farm
we made appreciable progress in the course
of the day. Ia the Woevre, there was q
reciprocal Commandment in the sectors of
the foot of the Meuse hills. Belgian COM
municatior: Last night was calm, and to-
day was marked only by artillery actions
on both sides along the whole Of our front.
Rome, (via London) May 27th-The fol-
lowing Official communication was issued
from General Headquarters to-day: In the
course of yesterday, the situation generally
was unchanged. We repulsed minor enemy
attacks at Moline in the Lairo valley against
Sierra valley on the Boule pass, in the Laga-
rina valley and also in the Bosnia sectors
when two Companies of the enemy with
machine guns were apnihilated by our fire.
On the Asiago plateau there was an intense
activity on the part of the enemy's artillery
from Monte Velna. Fighting on our lines
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