Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-05-27
United States Notifies Great
Britain and France that
1t Can No Longer
Tolerate Wrongs.

neutra! mails, has notified Great Brit
ain and France that IL can no longer
tolerate the wrongs which American
citizens have suffered and continue to
suffer through the "lawless practice
nose governments have INDUCED in
md that only a radical change in
policy. restoring the United states TO
It's fu!l rights neutral power ,vill
be satisfactory.
This notification is given in the latest
American communication to the two
governments, the text of which was
made public by the State Department
change must be effected is not specified
but the United States expects prompt
action.
Serious and vexatious." abuses per
petrated by the British and French gov
"rnments in seizing and censorinG neu-
trail mails are recited in the communi-
cation. and answers are made to the
legal arguments contained in the reply
OF the entente governments 20 the first
American note on the subject. 1t ia
Vigorously set forth that not only have
American commercial interests been in
Jured. but that the rights Of property
have been violated. and the rules of
international law and custom palpablv
disreEarded. Notice is served that the
United States soon will press claims
against the British and French gov
ernm"nts for losses already sustained.
The communication WAS addressed TO
the British and French ambassadors, 10
whom II was delivered on Wednesday.
METHOD OF APPLYING PRINCIPLE
CHIEF CAUSE Of DIFFERENCE
The communication quotes the clos
ing paragraphs of the Joint note of
FEBRUARY Is. and says this govern
meni does not admit. a asserted there
in that parcel post matter is subjec,
70 me exercise of the rights of police
supervision. visitation and eventual
seizure. which belongs to the be!lic-
erents as all cargoes on the high seas
The three governments. however. il il
asserted, appear TO he in substantial
agreement as to the principle The
method Of applying the principle is the
chief cause of difference
Continuing, the communication saws.
Though giving assurances that they
consider genuine correspondence to he
insoluhlc. sni that they Will. true ~
'h'lI engagements. refrain on the high
seas from s"izing and conhsCatinE
such correspondence. the allied govern
mentS proceed to deprive neutral gov
e'nments Of the benefits of these assur.
ancss by selling and confscatinc mail
from vessels in port. instead Of at sea
ihe' compel neutral ships without
ius' cause to enter their own ports or
tneN induce shipping lines through
some form OF duress. ~ send their mail
ships via British ports, or they detain
al vessels merely calling At British
ports. thus acquiring by force or un-
iustif1able means an illegal jurisdiction.
Acting upon this enforced jurisdiction,
the authorities remove all mails. gen
rins correspondence. as we'll as post
parcels. take them 70 London, where
every piece, even though Of neutral
origin and desina tion. Is opened and
oruically examined ~ determine the
sincerity of their character in accord
ance with the Interpretation given that
underlined phrase by the British and
French "ensors Finally, the expu7-ated
remainder is forwarded. frequently
after irreparahl delay. to its destina-
uon Ships are detained en- route to
or from the United States or to or from
other neutral countries. and mails are
held and DELAYED for several days. and
iii some cases for weeks and even
months. even though not routed to
ports of North Europe via British
ports. This has been the procedure
which has been practiced since the an
nouncemeni of February IL. 1916. To
some extent the same practice was fol-
lowed before that date. calling forth
the protest of this government on Jan
uary :. 1915. But to that protest the
makes no reference, and
is entirely unresponsive."
DO Not OBTAIN
UIGHTFUL JURISDICTION
The United states reiterates that the
foreign governments do not obtain
rightful Jurisdiction over neutral ships
by forcing them to visit their ports for
the purpose of seizing the mails and
holds that such n practice amounts to
an unwarranted Limitation Of the use
Of the seas by neutralS. II is sug
sested that "one Illegal practice has
heen abandoned TO make place for the
development OF another more onerous
and veXatious in character
The note then sets forth number
of preCedents TO sustain the position
Of this country, goinG back first To
the war between the United states and
Mexico. when the United States forces
allowed British steamers 10 enter and
depart from the port of Vera Cruz with
out molesting the mails intended for
inland points. During the American
Civil.War. Secretary Seward announced
that public mails of any friendly or
neutral power. duly certified or au-
thenticated as such. shall not he
or opened. but he put as
speedily as may be convenient on the
way to their designated destination"
In accordance with this announce
ment the United States. in the case of
the British steamship Peterhof. which
had been seized with her mails against
the protest of Her Majesty's govern
ment had her mails forwarded to des-
tination unopened.
The arbitrary methods employed by
the British and French governments
have resulted most dsastrously to
citizens of the United States" II is
stated. important papers. which can
Continued on Second Page.)