The Washington herald., 1916-02-27


believes Americas threat of such an
embargo would be carried out-snd Presi-
dent Wilson obviously cannot make such
threat unless the country will support
IL. a fact guardedly commented on here
with immense satisfaction.
There is much talk Of the approaching
economic independence of the allies, due
to the increasing output Of homemade
munitions, and IL is limited IN irresponsi-
bic quarters that just as soon as Ameri-
can munitions are no longer needed
more truculent tone will be adopted by
| the foreign Office. mention this gossip
only because Il may have reached the
United States and II ought to be denied.
The allies will never have too many
guns and shells. IL indeed they ever get
enough. and in any case the importa-
ton Of food during the war IL a vital
necessity for France and England.
From what has been said, the eI-
| tremely delicate task OF the British for
eign Office can be appreciated II has
to carry out the altering as Sir Ed
ward Grey put Il, of neutral trade
through the English Channel and around
| the north of Scotland 30 as to insure
| that no goods destined for Germany shall
get through, and at the same time IL
must avoid, at all costs, provoking any
\ neutral whose commerce is thus inter
gong 10 hiu II ulNeN
| avoid IL possible provoking any neutral
to trade reprisals. II this last be impos-
sible, II must decide whether 20 make
| concessions that will help the Germans.
or TO refuse concessions and submit to
the punishment inflicted by the sggrieved
| neutral.
The tact with which this work is being
conducted by Sir Edward Grey is be-
yond praise. The verdict Of history may
4
| the English diplomat which filed Ger
man breasts when war broke out, for
the British blockade, II II succeeds, will
/ owe its triumph as well TO the genius
of Sir Edward in knowing Just how far
he dare go as to the power of the British
navy.
The foreign Office was recently accused
in Parliament because of cooked-up sta
tistics printed by London newspapers Of
undue leniency In conducting the block
Jade. Hun feeders" shouted malcontents
at the ministerial bench Stung by this
bitterly unfair criticisms. both Sir Ed
ward Grey and his under secretary. Lord
Robert Cecil. departed from their usual
discretion to make remarks which show
they feel the fact that neutral hostility
must be avoided even II leakage into
Germany continues. 1T is dIffcult to say
as frankly and as csndidly as l would
like to say it." said Lord Robert. thai
there are more ways than one in which
a war may be lost, II is quite easy &c
make very serious mistakes in a matter
, of this kind. and they might be so serious
that recovery from them should be i'm.
possible. do not want to dwell upoT
this point unduly. but / viii be glad e
, discuss It with any honorable membeI
, privately"
1 do not consider It presumptuous u
! surmise that Lord Robert in such
. private conversation would cover tn
!. ground l have just trayersed. Sir Ed
ward Grey told the house that II tn
measures against neutral trade suggests
, by unionist firebrands were undertaken
Il think the war might be over by now
but 1t would be over because the Who'll
world would have risen against us an
we and our allies, too, would have col
lapsed under the general resentment o
c the whole world"
British officials believe the conduct o
u their enemies has made more easy tn
blockade OF neutral ports. After BORN
me with statistics and nice points Of in
ternational law. one authority remarked
y What makes our blockade of neutrs
4 ports possible are German barbsrtties
g Consider America II Germany ha
played the game, kept out OF Belgium
: committed no crimes at sea, we shoul
not have dared to go so far as we hsv'
e for we should have thrown you into tn
o Ksiser's arms. As ii is. almost nothin
e we could do would have that result
n After grumbling at our interference wit
n your commerce, you always end up b
e saying, After all. the Germans san
o the Lusitania-' Or take the case Of Ho
= land. The horror and hatred aroused b
n the fate Of Belgium have led the DutC
n to submit to our somewhat high-hande
n methods without a serious protest.
e Germany had respected Belgium, all oil
s tact might not have prevented Hollsn
l. from entering the German alliance, wit
8 results disastrous to ourselves"
n The specific controversy between Anne
lea and Britain will now be considers
+ I have outlined the general situation an
y labored over perhaps obvious points, b
l. cause a clear understanding of the VI
II DERIVING issues is necessary 70 form
"a clear Judgment on the merits OF the pa
'e ticular dispute Of the most interest ;
;, present
q Great Britain's method OF conductiT
the blockade Is simple. Practically q
n ships crossing the Atlantic for ports
} any one Of the four neutral countri'
:, adjoining Germany are stopped on Il
n high seas and brought in for examin
IT tion-to Kirkwall in the OrlEneys II Il
northern route is attempted, to Deal
e the Downs II the neutral tries to 6
% through the channel Exceptions to IN
o are rare, and getting rarer. When Il
suspected ship reaches port, her mantle
is sent ashore and telegraphed TO Lo
{ don, where the cargo is passed upon I
III the contraband committee
This committee is presided over
E. NJ. Pollock, a Unionist member
Parliament, and is composed, with N
Pollock, OF two representatives Of q
ig admiralty, one Of the foreign office. al
Re one Of the board Of trade. 1t decid
r whether the goods on board the detain'
es ship are manifestly for neutral consum
en- tion-in which case the ship Is released
70 or whether grounds exist to suspect tn
Mt all or part Of the cargo will filter throui
ms to Germany. In the latter case the 81
s. pected cargo Is placed in the prize cou
at and the prize court lie so overburden
~ with work that exsspersting delays q
an inevitable.
LIP Mr.. Pollock explained how his comm
oh tee tries to mitigate the hsrdships IL
t. posed on neutral shippers 'Importa
B. agreements" he said, have been ma
to with shipping associations and compsni
II. st neutral ports under which they rets
ed nv ratt,rr gnodsrE which are question: