Der Deutsche correspondent. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1841-1918, 1916-01-12
TO BRING GREAT BRITAIN TO
TERMS.

last week introduced two bills in the
Senate which are aiming to prevent
the mixing OF passengers with
ammunition" on ocean liners, has
offered two other bills in that
branch Of the Congress of the United
States which are intended to secure
the freedom OF the seas as guaran-
teed by the Declaration Of London.
One of the proposed measures
would make 1t felony for any
American to sell contraband to any
signatory power to the declaration
of London, which is interfering with
American trade; the other would
penalize any bank that acted as
agent for, or made any loans to any
such power or ally.
By way OF explaining his meas
ures Senator Gore issued the follow
ing statement:
The object of the two bills is to
require the powers which signed the
declaration of London to abide by
that agreement. Article % Of that
declaration enumerates certain ar
ticles as absolute contraband OF war,
such as arms, munitions ETC., while
articles 28 and 20 enumerate nom
contraband goods and declare ley
may not be declared contraband of
war that is wool, cotton and other
raw materials OF the textile industry,
agriculture and printing machinery,
paper and many others.
Articles 23 and "a enumerate
still others as conditional contra
band, food and clothing, boots,
shoes, gold, silver, railway materials
and others. These bills recognize
the rights Of belligerent nations to
interfere with the shipment Of abso
lutte conditional contraband. Nei-
ther measure will interfere in the
slightest way with any Of the sigma
tory powers OF the declaration OF
London, which does not interfere
with our neutral commerce in non
contraband goods, in violation OF its
own agreement.
zone Of the bills prohibits the
shipment of contraband goods to any
Of the belligerent signatory powers
which interferes with our neutral
commerce in noncontraband and au-
thorizes the President to suspend
the operation OF tho act whenever
such belligercnt shall give satisfac-
tory assurances that it will not inter-
fere with such commerce for the
future.
Il do not believe in q general en-
barge or q nonintercourse act. l do
not favor the passage OF law pro-
hibiting absolutely and uncondition-
ally the expectation OF arms to bel
ligerents. This Is a right belonging
to belligerents under international
law and we cannot abrogate that
right during war without committing
an unneutral act.
"Our neutrality ougt to be neutral
without regard to our sympathies or
antipathies. We have the power to
protect the rights and commerce OF
our citizens by prohibiting exporta-
tion OF contraband to those countries
which interfere with our neutral
commerce.
"The other bill prohibits any ma
tional bank or banking association
from making any loan or acting as
agent for any Of the signatory pow
crs which are interfering with our
commerce in those articles which the
declaration Of London expressly
provides shall not be declared con-
traband. The President has power
under the bill to suspend the OPP
Grafton Of this act whenever the Of
Tending nation shall give satisfactory
guarantee that it will respect the
neutral commerce of our citizens.
"They are both defensive meas
ures and cannot possibly involve us
in an international quarrel 1t is
my hope that they will be effective
and prevent future violations Of the
rights OF American citizens. If they
do so they would at least manifest
a disposition to do so. / think il
quite as important to protect the
rights Of an American citizen to en-
gage in neutral commerce in non
contraband goods as it is to run the
risk OF engulfing the United States
in a sea of blood in order to crafty
wish to travel upon a belligeront
rather than upon a neutral ship
Even this latter right must be
protected as 1t exists as right, un-
til withdrawn by our own govern
ment alone.
1T will be interesting to see
whether those who insist that Amer
lean citizens should have the right
to take the chance Of involving the
nation in a carnival of slaughter will
insists with equal vehemence upon
protecting the rights of American
citizens to ship innocent goods in
neutral vessels. They must do so
who are merely standing for the
rights and security Of the American
citizen, and people who are not in
public or private standing for the
interest of either belligerent as
apafpat fbO Othnr