The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-01-01
Government Member So Says
Regarding New COntrO-
versy With L. s.
ALL PARCELS SEARCHED
This Rule. Dealing With Con-
traband. Based on Hague
Decision.
specaJ cabie D,spa'c, 10 Tnx srv


LONDON. Dec. ai.--Parcels. whether
sent by parcel post or by letter post.
enjoy no immunity further than that
given TO ordinary merchandise. They
may be searched and II found 10 con-
tain con,rahand may be confscate,l.
First class letter mail carried by neu-
tral steamships which voluntarily stop
at English ports comes under the English
municipal law aud Is thus liable to he
opened aud subjected to examination by
the censor as ordinary mail entering
and leaving England .s censored.
The vexed question OF mail stoppa ges
was thus explained 10 TIE SrN corie-
spondent by "A member Of the Govern
ment to-day. Dealing with the frst
question. that OF parcel post. lie said
that under international law parels
transmitted by post are not entitled to
any different treatment than any other
merchandise that !s liable 10 search and
II containing contraband, to confiscation
Prior to the eleventh Hague conven-
tion no protection was given 10 postal
matter but under that convention ~ a
clause clearly applying 10 such matter.
At the meeting on september II an
Italian delegate asked Herr kr.ger. the
German who introduced the resolution.
whether the project included both parcel
and letter post. Herr krieger replied
that Ii certainly excluded parcels from
privileged treatment.
We can see at once that this must
be So" said the English authority to-
day. "or belligerents would lose all
rights in IA blockade and during war.
t'vary shin which . examined
contained great quantities of contraband
goods. principally rubber. shipped by
parcel post. Whether the goods are sent
by parcel or letter post does not alter
the situation, as We insist that par
Gel is a parcel and letter is "A letter.
THE protection given to letters. while
II does not interfere with the right OF
search. is absolute except for letters
directed to some blockaded port. Again.
II vessel voluntarily comes to some
English port she then becomes subject
to English law and We exercise the
right of censorship. Otherwise docu-
meuts containing Information OF vital
interest TO the enemy could pass by our
own ships through our own domains
and We would be unable to interfere with
them. BY ships coming voluntarily
into English territorial waters We mean
ships like those OF the Holland Amer
u
their own free will We do not mean
ships which We take to ports like Kirk
wall for purposes of search, In the
latter case letters are inviolate We
do not interfere with them, but only
with parcels"
Asked If the reports were true that
Belgian bonds sent from the United
States had been held up this authority
said he was not aware Of any such ac-
tion. Asked If the registration OF let
teis or of parcels made a difference ne
replied in the negative Asked what the
Government proposed 10 do regarding
the %udinl OF powdered milk to Ger
man babies he replied that the United
States has made no representation on
these points and the policy of tine Brit
ish Government r. to "wait and see
what the United States proposes to do.
Swedens action in holding mp mails
the authority held TO be indefensihle be-
cause II Is based purely OH reprlsals. II
Sweden represented that her rights had
;een infringed she might perhaps be
justified in adopting reprisals. he said
but England mad not infringed upon any
OF her rights. He pointed out that
Sweden claims the same domestic rights
OF censorship Of parcels in transi, as
does England. but answered this argu-
ment by saying that Sweden based her
action purely on the ground OF reprlsals.
The Manchester Guardian referring to
the matter to-day says:
"Theye Is no question Of law involved
at all, except OF course, the old ques-
ton on which the American Government
has already argued SO voluminously AMI
so cleverly. about the validity of the
March orders in Council"
The Guordidn hopes the Foreign Of
flce will he allowed free hand to deal
with the question. and asserts that "only
the Foreign Office, which IL in posses
sion OF the facts. can strike true bal
ance between the Inconvenience inflicted
upon neutrals, which might rebound to
our detriment and the actual injury done
to the enemy by the stoppage OF this
trade"