Evening journal., 1916-07-13
CECIL Defends
GREAT BRITAIN S
BLOCKADE ORDER ORRDDEE R
Declares Nation Was Not
Bound by the Declara-
..tion of London
Says GERMANY has
IGNORED ALL NEUTRALS
BY ED L. KEEN.
Unlted press san Corresnondent

united Press stan correspondent
LONDON. July 1s.--Great Britain
acted on strictly legal principles when
she abandoned the Declaration Of
London as a code regulating blockade
and rights Of neutrals and belliger-
ents at sea, Lord Robert Cecil. minis
ter of blockade. told the United Press
in an exclusive interview today
The British minister answered sew
eral assertions made by the German
Chancellor in a recent statement re-
garding the Declaration Of London.
Apparently the Chancellor regards
the Declaration of London as a char
ter Of freedom Of the seas" said Lord
Robert What are the facts? The
Declaration Of London was merely
code endeavoring to reconcile certain
contradictory theories Of international
law. II specifically permitted the
destruction OF neutral prizes. II
= did not repeal the well established
rights Of belligerents against enemy
commerce.
"The Chancellor maintains that the
Declaration laid down the principle
that wars should be conducted solely
on land or before the actual ports Of
the enemy. This Is quite untrue.
There was no waiver of the right OF
a bellieerent TO exercise on the high
sea the right he possesses under in
ternational Law.
1T is strange the Germans should
put forward their present contention
in view OF the action Of their COM
merce destroying cruisers such as
; the Emden, Karlsruhe and Eitel
= Friedrich, which during the early
months of the war sank many Ailiet
] and neutral vessels IN places far re
d moved from the port Of any belligerenl
Their action was not based on tn
n ground Of reprisals, but was exercise
J. by virtue OF what they considered be-
ligercnt rights. Moreover the Cel
n mans at the outset OF the war sowe
- mines unfortunately on trad
routes on the high seas.
{ THE Chancellor accuses Great Brf
! tain OF lack of good faith IN not
J adopting the Declaration He appar-
! entity has forgotten that the United
States government. as early as 1914
recognized that the declaration was
not binding without express agree
ment by the belligerents. The declar-
dAA0n u1u III iili no UfuulnE IOICE ~
all in law as IL had not been ratified
by any OF the signatories, and indeed
had been repudiated by one chamber
OF the British Parliament II was in
this respect very different from the
treaty guaranteeing the neutrality OF
Belgium. which was absolutely bind
ing upon the signatories, but which
Germany callously violated the mo-
, ment war broke out, following this
! act by waging a land and sea warfare
! with methods both contrary to inter-
national law and repugnant TO the
ideas of civilization and humanity. I
need not remind you OF the amount OF
neutral shipping and the number OF
e neutral lives destroyed by German
o submarines.
J. "The Chancellor maintains that
3 Great Britain denies the rights Of neu-
trails and enforces municipal statutes
). as though they we're international
p law. Great Britain. from the first, has
T done the utmost 10 distinguish be-
D tween genuine neutral commerce and
that carried on in the interests Of the
r enemy and 10 place as little impedi-
ment as possible in the way Of the
} former
! Some delays and inconveniences
! undoubtedly have been caused neutral
Continued on Page Six.)