The Colorado statesman., 1916-06-03

tion of ships by forcing or inducing
them 10 Visit their ports, for the pur-
pose of seizing their mails. or thereby
such ships than they could exercise on
the high seas; for there is. in the
opinion flniin1 e. Of the government of the
united states, no legal distinction be-
tween the seizure OF malls at sea,
which is announced as abandoned. and
their seizure from vessels voluntarily
or involuntarily in port.
The British and French practice
amounts to an unwarranted Limitation
of the use by neutrals of the worlds
highway for the transmission of cor
respondence. The practice actually fol-
lowed by the allied powers must be
said to Justify the conclusion. there
fore. that the announcement of Feb
ruary 15 was merely notice that one
illegal practice had been abandoned to
make place for the development of an
other, more onerous and vexatious in
character.
Hague Rule violated.
The present practice is a violation
not only of the spirit of the announce
of The Hague Convention, upon which
1t Is concededly based. Aside from this.
1t is violation of the prior practice
of nations which Great Britain and her
allies have in the past assisted to es-
tablish and maintain.
The arbitrary methods employed bv
have resulted most disastrously to citi-
zens of the United States. Important
papers which can never be duplicated,
or can be duplicated only with great
difficulty, such as United States pat
ents for Inventions, rare documents,
legal papers relating to the settlement
of estates, powers of attorney, fire in.
surance claims, income tax returns and
similar matters, have been lost.
Delays in receiving shipping docu-
ments have caused great loss and in
n n HAM hNv fs.,--
livery of goods.
Business opportunities are lost by
failure to transmit properly bids speci-
tications and contracts.
Money Order Lists Missing.
Business correspondence, relating
tween neutral countries, correspond
ence of a personal nature. and also
certain official correspondence such as
money order lists and other matter
forwarded by government departments.
stroyed.
interests injured but rights of prop
erty are violated, and the rules of in
ternational law and custom are palp-
ably disregarded.
Il can only add that this continuing
offense has led to such losses to
American citizens and to a possible
responsibility of the United States t.
repair them, that this government will
be compelled in the near future to
press claims for full reclamation upon
the attention of His Majesty's gov
crnment and that of the French Re
Public.
Details of United States Stand.
THE government of the United
States is inclined to the opinion that
the class of mail matter which in
cludes stocks bonds, coupons and sim
liar securities is to be regarded as of
the same nature as merchandise or
n hn npff Of aNstr nd fnRf
to the same exercise of belligerent
rights. Money orders, checks. drafts,
notes and other negotiable instru-
ments which may pass as the equiva-
to be classed as merchandise.
Correspondence. including shipping
documents, money order lists and pa
pers of that character, even though re-
lating to enemy supplies or exports"
unless carried on the same ship as the
property referred to, are, in the opin-
ion of this government, to be regard
ed as genuine correspondence" and en-
titled to unmolested passage
THE government of the United
States, in view of the improper meth
French authorities in interrupting
mails passing between the United
States and other neutral countries and
between the United States and the en- :
| emies of Great Britain. can no longei
tolerate the wrongs which citizens of
the United States suffer and continue
TO suffer through lneSe IneluouS.
Rights Must be Observed.
ITO submit to a lawless practice OF
this character would open the door to
repeated violations of international
law by the belligerent powers on the
ground of military necessity, of which
the violator would be the sole Judge.
Manifestly neutral nation cannot
permit its rights on the high seas to
| be determined by belligerents or the
exercise of these rights to be permit
ted or denied arbitrarily by the gov
ernment of a warning nation.
The rights of neutrals are as sa-
cred as the rights of belligerents and
must be as strictly observed.
THE government of the United
States, confident in the regard for in
ternational law and the rights of neu
trails, which the British and French
governments have so often proclaimed
and the disregard of which they have
urged as vigorously against their en-
emies in the present war expects the
present practice of the British and
French authorities in the treatment of
mails from or to the United States to
cease, and belligerent rights, as ex-
ercised, to conform to the principle
governing the passage of mail matter
and to the recognized practice of ma
tions.
"Only a radical change in the pres
ent British and French policy, restor-
ing to the United States its full rights
as a neutral power. will satisfy this
government
ROBERT LANSING"