Middletown transcript., 1916-11-18
BRITISH JUSTIFY
THE BLACKLIST
Declare the Measure a Munich
pal Regulation.
REPLY TO AMERICAN NOTE
.IneOnyenIenees TO NeutraIs Are In.
Significant IN Comparison With
the sufferinos OF the Bel
ligerents.
REPLY 70 AMERICAN NOTE

Washington.-The end of the Eu-
ropean war Is not in sight. This
declaration has been formally and Off
ciallyl communicated to the United
States government on behalf of the
British government in note recently
deliaered to Walter Hines Page, the
American Ambassador at London, and
by him forwarded to Secretary Of
State Lansing, by whom the communi-
cation, one Of the most important re-
ceived from the British government
since the beginning of the war, was
made public tonight.
The note, which bears date of Oc-
tober 10, is in reply to the American
note of July % in which protest was
made against the addition of certain
firms in this country to the British
Trading With the Enemy Blacklist,
and bears the signature of Viscount
Grey, of Falledon, who has been Brit
ish. secretary of state for foreign af-
fairs since 1905. z
In this communication, which is con-
ceded to be one of the strongest docu-
ments received from Viscount Grey
since the war began, the action of the
British government in placing Ameri-
ear Arm names on its blacklist IS iusti-
fed as being wholly within the right
of that government and as involving
To-
Wars End Far OF.
Viscount Grey, in his exhaustive
treatment of the subject, goes beyond
the mere legal aspects of the issue,
and, besides offering other justification
for the blacklisting of neutral firms,
deals with certain broader phases of
the relations of neutral and belliger-
ent commerce and other wider aspects
of the war.
"The idea would seem to be prev
alent," says Viscount Grey's note,
chat the military position is now such
that it is unnecessary to
take steps which might prejudice, even
to slight degree, the commerce OF
neutral nations, that the end of the
war is in sight, and that nothing which
happens in distant neutral countries
can affect the ultimate result.
eff" continues the note of Viscount
Grey, ''that were really the position, it
is possible that the measures taken
might be described as un-
called for, but it is not Even though
the military situation of the Allies has
greatly improved, there is still long
and bitter struggle in front Of them
and one which in justice to the prin-
ciples for which they are fighting, i'm
poses upon them the duty of employ
ing every opportunity and every meas
ure which they can legitimately use to
overcome their opponents"
Neutrals Must Be Patient.
The note says:
Zone observation which is very COM
monty heard is that certain belliger-
ents, acts, even though lawful, are too
petty to have any influence in the
struggle of such magnitude. 1t is,
know, difficult for those who have no
immediate contact with war to realize
with what painful anxiety men and
women in this country must regard
even the smallest acts which tend to
Increase, II only i--t by hatr breadth,
the danger in which their relatives and
friends daily stand, or to prolong, If
only by a minute. the period during
which they are to be exposed to such
perils.
Whatever Inconvenience may be
caused to neutral nations by the exer-
else of belligerent rights, it is not to
be compared for an instant to the suf-
fering and loss occasioned to mankind
by the prolongation of the war even
for week."