Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-09-21


Foreign representatives: Cone. LOT
enxen q Woodman, Mallers Bulia,n N,,
Chicago: 236 Fifth Ave-, New !oiH
City: Gumbel Bldg. Kansas city. MO.
HOW BRITAIN TREATS NEUTRAls
RIGHTS. ~
In our anxiety lest some German
submarine sink vessel carrying
Americans, thereby violating our
rights as neutrals, we have been prone
10 overlook the various violations at
The hands of the allies, or rights
which come just after that OF life, It.
self. The administration has made
several protests to Great Britain
Against that nations ruthless preten-
lions as to it's rights and privileges
Ia view Of its control of the seas.
Several notes have been written about
Inc seizure and Gems orship OF United
States mail, and the detension or con-
hscation of perfectly proper cargoes
bound for neutral ports
But the British diplomats have tend'
ID off enquiries and protests and the
Presidents notes have brought no re-
lief whatever. News dispatches yes
Ierday told how another British note
5 on it's way here, note which seeks
% Justify the course of the British.
lust what some Of the things are,
which it is sought to justify, is shown
~ the following excerpts from the
September issue of Paint, Oll ana
brug Review, a Chicago publication:
A well known foreign manufacturer
II aniline dyes located in neutral
country started large factory IN the
United States since the beginning OF
The war and full data for the instruc'
ion of the American manager We're
forwarded by mail. These included
drawings of new machinery, secret for.
nulas and many important details
which were of the utmost Importance.
They were mailed by neutrals sent on
neutral steamer and addressed to q
neutral firm in the United States. Not
withstanding this they were taken
from the mails held In England and az
The last information received had not
vet been forwarded to the party ad'
dressed. Can any more flagrant viola
lion of neutrality laws be conceived
bf? Yet this Is only one OF a vast
humber Of similar cases affecting
Every line Of business and many thous'
Ands of American business men.
Secretary of State Lansing has ad-
nitted inquiring of London concerning
statements recently made IN parl1a
ment by Llody-George, minister OF war
In the British cabinet to the effect that
trade secrets gained by the censor are
passed along to the proper DEPART
ments for their use in advancing Brit
lsh trade interests to the detriment Of
American interests.
A Wisconsin manufacturer who has
been for years exporting large vol
ume of his product to Scandinavian
country has been unable to get his
goods to destination since shortly az
ter the outbreak of the war. In his
ease the allies did not wait for the
British blacklist, but put the screws
on within sixty days. His business is
virtually ruined and he is in receipt OF
information which convinces him that
/ British firm is now supplying goods
on the contract he holds, which ante
lates the war by considerable period
The Oliver Plow Company of South
Bend Ind, has even had its business
with South America interrupted be.
cause of the blacklisting Of its New
York forwarding agent. through whom
& has dealt for twenty-four years.
The reign of terror under which
many American firms now exist be-
cause of the ruthless exacttons OF the
blacklist, in the opinion of officials,
furnishes almost conclusive evidence
hat the blacklist was not even intend.
ID primarily as war measure, but
merely as club by which the allies
hope to insure their commercial su-
premacy after the war.
Senator Phelan of California Is
,uoted as saying: There is no war in
he Pacific England has put its ban
upon the SHIPMENT of oil, for instance,
,ut of San Francisco to Australia be.
.ause blacklisted firm owns stock in
he oil company namely, d. the Petfo-
cum Products Company of California
which had contracts for delivery Ii
Australia. .:.-s
american mails are violated be.
tween Shanghai and San Francisco;
sealed pouches are broken open for
The purpose of learning the trade Sc
crets of American merchants with a
view to rehabilitating English trade,
hot now during the war, but after the
war.
"The chamber of commerce of San
Francisco has complained that re.
tent closed mail from the United
states postal agency at Shanghai to
Seattle, dispatched on the British
steamer Empress of Russia, was open
Id in transit. probably at Victoria,
B. c., and all the first class mail was
opened, censored, and resealed under
The censor's label. This mail bore
United States postage stamps and the
bostmark OF the United States postal
agency at Shanghai
"This nostal agency is purely
United States postoffice as in all
American city and this route has al.
ways been regarded as exactly the
same as one between any other two
Wnited States postofi ces. The inform
htion thus secured will beTof the great
est value to Great Britain in her fu-
tire effort to control the trade of the
Pacific
Such conditions are almost unthink-
able in this day and generation, yet up
to date no serious protest has been
made nv orr gov eminent and no re.