The Elk Mountain pilot., 1916-06-03

tion of ships by forcing or inducing
them to visit their ports. for the pur-
pose of seizing their mails. or thereby
obtain greater belligerent rights as TO
the high seas; for there is. in the
opinion of the government of the
United States. no legal distinction be-
tween the seizure of mails at sea;
which is announced as abandoned. and
their seizure from vessels voluntarily
or lnvoipntariiy unfairly in port ..,,..
| amounts to an unwarranted Limitation
Of the use by neutrals of the worlds
highway for the transmission OF cor
respondence. The practice actually fol-
lowed by the allied powers must be
said to Justify the conclusion, there
fore. that the announcement OF Feb
ruary Is was merely notice that one
Illegal practice had been abandoned to
make place for the development of an
other, more onerous and vcxatious In
character.
Hague Rule violated.
1.-The present practice is violation
ment of February Is, but of the rule
of The Hague Convention, upon which
it is concededly based. Aside from this.
of nations which Great Britain and her
allies have In the past assisted to es-
tablish and maintain.
THE arbitrary methods employed bv
the British and French governments
have resulted most disastrously to citi-
ZenS OF the Un1ted states. important
papers which can never be duplicated.
or can be duplicated only with great
difficulty, such as United States pat
ents for inventions, rare documents,
legal papers relating to the settlement
of estates, powers of attorney. fire In
surance claims, income tax returns and
similar matters. have been lost.
Delays in receiving shipping docu-
| ments have caused great loss and in
convenience by preventing prompt de-
livery of goods.
Business opportunities nre lost by
failure to transmit properly bids. speci-
fications and contracts.
Money Order Lists Missing.
Business correspondence, relating
tween neutral countries. correspond
ence of personal nature. and also
certain official correspondence such as
money order lists and other matter
forwarded by government departments.
are detained. lost or possibly de-
stroyed. ,,,
interests injured. but rights of prop
erty are violated, and the rules OF In
te!nat onal ,aw and custom are palp-
ably disregarded.
Il can only add that this continuing
offense has led to such losses to
American citizens and to possible
repair them. that this government Will
be compelled In the near future to
press claims for full reclamation upon
the attention of His Ma1esty's gov
ornment and that of the French Re-
usi!c.
Details Of United states stand.
THE government of the United
States Is inclined to the opirion that
the class of mail matter which In
cludes stocks bonds coupons and sim
liar securities is to be regarded as of
the same nature merchandise or
other articles OF property and subject
rights. Money orders. checks. drafts,
notes and other negotiable instru-
IN. nts which may pass as the equiya-
lent of money are. 1t is considered. also
to be classed as merchandise.
Correspondence. including shipping
documents. MONEY order SITS and pa
pers of that character. even though re,
lating to enemy supplies or exports"
un ess carried on the same ship as the
property referred to. are, in the opin-
ion of this government. to be regard
ed genuine correspondence and en-
titled to unmolested passage
THE government of the United
States. in view OF the Improper meth,
DDS employed by the British and
French authorities in interrupting
mails passing between the United
States and other neutral countries and
between the United States and the en-
emies of Great Britain can no longe.
tolerate the wrongs which citizens OF
the United States suffer and continue
to suffer through these methods.
Rights Must he Observed.
ITO submit to lawless practice OF
repea.ed violations Of international
law by the bel.iGerent powers on the
ground of military necessity. Of which
the violator would be the sole judge.
Manifestly neutral nation cannot
permit IT'S rights on the high seas to
be det, rmined by belligerents or the
exercise of these rights to be permit
ted or denied arbitrarily by the gov
c. ment + "A warning nation.
THE rights of ntutrals are as sa-
ere as the rights of b Htgerents and
must be rs strictly observed.
The government OF the United
States. confident in the regard for in
ternational law and the rights of neu-
trails. which the British and French
governments have so often proc aimed
and the disregard of which they have
urged as vigorously against their en-
emies In the present war expects the
present pI actice of the British and
French authorities in the treatment OF
mails from or to the United States to
cease. and belligerent rights. as ex-
ercised. to conform to the principle
governing the passage of mail matter
and to the recognized practice of ma
tions.
only a radical change in the pres
ent British and French policy. res or
ing to the United States its fun rights
as a neutral power. will satisfy this
government.
"R0pnRT Ia .ASSING"