The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-10-15

OF the United States Ia aware that
that convention. a. stated In the mem
orandum of the allies. has not been
signed or ratified by six of the bell
ligerent powers bulgaria, Italy, Mon
tenegro. Russia, Serbia and Turkey.
that for that very reason Germany
availed itself of Article TX of the
convention and denied. so far as it
vas concerned. the obligatory char
acter of these stipulations; and that
for these several reasons the conven-
ton possesses in truth but rather
doubtful validity In law. In spite of
1t all, the allied governments are
guided in the case of mails found on
board ships In ports by the inten-
tons expressly manifested In confer
ences of The Hague sanctioned In the
preamble to convention IL. and tend
ing to protect pacific and innocent
commerce only. Mails possessing
that character are forwarded as
quickly as circumstances permit"
Accuse Germany.
Germany is accused in the follow
ing language OF having violated in
ternational law, even more fiagrantly
than the allies:
AS regards the proceedings of the
German Empire towards postal cor
respondence during the present war.
the allied governments have informed
the government of the United States
Of the names of some of the mall
steamers whose mail bags have been
rot examined, to be sure, hut purely
and simply destroyed at sea by the
German naval authorities. These
other names could very easily be add
ed--the very recent case of the mail
ing $40 mail bags, may be cited.
The allied governments do not
think that the criminal habit OF sink
ing ships, passengers and cargoes. or
abandoning on the high seas the sur
vivors of such calamities, is In the
eyes OF the government of the United
States any Justification for the de-
struction Of the mail bags on board.
and they do not deem II to the pur-
poso to make a mparison between
these destructive German proceedings
and the acts OF the allies In supervis-
INK and examining enemy correspond
ence."
AS regards the numerous cases cited
by the American note to prove that In
previous wars mail has been held to
be tnvtolable, the reply examines the
case individually and finds that the
circumstances differed from those in
the present war.
The only concessions the British
and French governments make are
contained in the following passage of
their note:
Concessions Made.
"As regards shipping documents
and commercial correspondence found
on neutral vessels even In an allied
port and offering no interest of con-
sequence affecting the war, the allied
governments have instructed their au-
thor'ties not to stop them. but to see
that they are forwarded with as little
delay as possible. Mail matter of
that character must be forwarded TO
its destination. as far as possible, on
the very ship on which II was found
or by speedier route as is the case
for certain malls inspected In Great
Britain"
Promise Of financial compensation
FOR injuries suffered by Americans by
reason Of the unlawful operation OF
the censorship Is contained In the con-
Guiding paragraph OF the note, which
says:
Furthermore, should any abuses.
grave errors. or derelictions commit
ted by the allied authorities charged
with the duty OF inspecting malls be