Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-01-21
HOKE SMITH AGAIN
DEMANDS FAIR PLAY
FOR NEUTRAL TRADE
Georgia Senator Asserts That
Great Britain Cannot Con-
tinue War Without American
Munitions and Food
BY RALPH SMITH.

nALEz
WASHINGTON. Jan. 2O.-Senator
Hoke smith. assailing Great Britain's
embargo against neutral trade of the
United states i'm speech i'm the SEN
ate today. urged congress to take some
definite action 10 defend the rights of
the United States and suggested an en-
barge on the necessities which England
sets from this country.
THE president can only write notes"
said Senator Smith. Congress can do
more. I do not mean to so to war.
There may come a time when we. shall
have to fight, but do not believe in
involving this nation in. war for few
dollars All We have to do is to show
that we have the nerve to insist on our
rights. England understands that we
are right and that she is wrong
Senator Borah asked the Georgia SEN
ator if ne thought that by any posi-
bilitv a bill could pass congress putting
an embargo on shipments OF munitions
ana other necessities to Great Britain.
sTf the senator will help I would be
clad TO ioin i'm such an embargo to take
effect in thirty days if, meanwhile, Eng
land has not yielded to respect the legal
rights of the United States.
u am perfectly willing" said Senator
HoraE. I'm order to protect our rights
unon sea and upon land. to assume the
responsibility not of speech. but OF &C
ton"
Discussing the action of the allies in
rroclaiming cotton as contraband, Sena-
tor Smith asserted that cotton had not
been used or needed by Germany or her
allies in the manufacture of war mu-
nftions for more than eight months. he
quoted from a statement Ihepared Tor
him by Howard w. Bible, now in Wash
ington after a trip to Germany, who
reported that he had learned throush
personal investigation that Germany had
developed a process for using wood pulp
as a cheaper and more effective substl-
tute for cotton in the manufacture OF
HISTORY OF INTERFERENCE.
senator Smith reviewed the whole
history of interferences with trade ana
diplomatic exchanges on the subject. lie
described as silly and untrue state
ments that the United states made cot
ton contraband during the Civil war, de-
claring that only once before in history
had cotton been declared contraband,
and II was done then during the Russo
Japauese war by Russia, who promptly
gave way in the face of a protest from
Great Britain that the action was ne
gal British authorities were quoted
also TO prove that under international
law foodstuffs are subject 10 seizure
only when actually consigned TO armed
forces or an enemy.
"Shau we quietly continue TO furnish
Great Britain what she is compelled to
obtain from the United States while the
commercial rights of citizens of this
countrv are trampled under fOot?" asked
the senator.
sGreat Britain cannot continue the
var without munitions from the United
states. Great Britain cannot feed her
population without foodstuffs from the
United States, and other neutrals'
Great Britain cannot keep her million
and . half people engaged in the Lam
cashire mills at work sixty days with
out cotton from the United States.
MUST HAVE COTTON.
Great Britain cannot accomplish her
scheme for worldwide domination of
commerce in her vast products of cot
ton-manufactured fabrics without cot
ton from the United States.
The administration has forcefully
brought to the attention of Great Britain
the rights of citizens of this country.
II has been demonstrated that citizens
Of neutral countries have the right TO
ship foodstuffs and cotton in unlimited
quantities through the neutral ports of
northern Europe 10 the noncombatant
Inhabitants of Germany and Austria.
THE congress of the United States
slept over the right of shippers of food
stuffs last winter. This was perhaps
because the prices were good, perhaps
because we did not investigate the sub
| ject. The lawlessness of Great Britain
has been increased greatly during the
past twelve months. Each day brings
/ new evidence of disregard for neutral
rights.
by frmness. but peacefully, neutrals
can easily obtain their rights from both
/ belligerents.
"Paraphrasing the language of Mr..
jefferson, England may feel the desire
Of absorbing the commerce of Germany
and of starving her people but she can
have no right OF doing it at our loss or
of making US the instrument Of it,