New-York tribune., 1916-07-24
THE BRITISH BLACKLIST
Another Invasion of Neutral Rights Which
Should Be Firmly Resisted.
no Tho Editor Of The Tribune.

/ To the Editor OF lNP llibhh's
Sir: II Mr. Hughes gets the German vote
will he get any more than Colonel Roosevelt
would have got, assuming that President
Wilson continues to treat Germany IN an
other spirit than that in which he treats
England? True enough, Germanys offences
against us are more serious than Englands'
in that Gormany's have involved the sacrifice
Of American lives. But England's have been
in spirt more insolcnt and offensive.
The Tcutonss blockadcd. at war with the
whole Of Europe, fighting for their lives, have
had much provocation to risk the wrath OF
ncutrals. Moreover, wrong as they have
been, they have yielded to US.
But from the wrongful course that England
has pursued toward our rights she has never
budged, but mas gone on more wrongfully all
the time. The EXTREMIST limit of arrogance
is reached when she blacklists American
business and causes American mercnants to
notify their customers in other neutral states
that before our merchants can accept their
orders. such orders must be vised by British
consul at an American port Of shipment.
/ Your principlcd policy in dealing with the
European situation and our compelled rela-
ton to il has won admiration and applause
from a great host OF Americans. II has been
so fair. so just and so distinctly American
that nobody who opposes il is able to formu-
late any sentence Of opposition that he dares
to give out The Tribune and Theodore
Roosevelt have this distinction together. You
and he placed the American position where
nobody, however otherwise disposed, was
able to phrase dissenting sentence.
The reason why ! supported you in calling
for Roosevelt's nomination was because
Knew he would no more tolerate the invasion
of our rights by one belligerent than by
another and because knew that Sir Ed
ward Grey. Marquis Okuma and Mr.. Poin-
care would understand him as precisely as
the German Emperor would. Eyen-handed
justice is easily understood.
You say this morning:
American opinion is very intoerant
Of blacklists and boycotts. 1t believes
that the use OF such weapons is always
mean-splrited and cowardly. The
natural instincts of our people have,
therefore, been outraged by the pubica-
tion Of the British governments list OF
American citizens, or Of alien citizens
and corporations domicled here with
whom British subjects are forbidden to
trade. The United States cannot
stand for a secondary boycott on the
high seas"
Say these things with more emphasis. Make
the President say them. Say more. Say that
England shall not interrupt the navigation of
neutral ships for the purpose of sezing mails .
destined to American postofices and decid-
ing of her arrogant will, what letters we
shall get and what ones her censors may
tear up and throw into the sea. If we are
fair TO all our forcign-born Americans; if
the British here the Irish here, the
French here. the Italians here. the Teutons
hereif they all see that our government is
dealing with each Of the governments under
which they were born in precisely the same
spirit, then, in the event of trouble with any
Of those governments, we shall have the full
support even against that government Of
those who came here from its territory,
relinquishing their birthright. But seeing
that for fifty years they have been coming
from all Of these countries, five hundred thou
sand of them every year, if we show partial
ity unless we apply to the governments of
each of these foreign nations from the people
Of which our people are being made and
blooded precisely the same rules in respect
of American rights in precisely the same
spirit. then in the event of trouble run
a dreadful risk. LEMUEL ELY QUIGG.
New York, July 81, 1915.