Gilpin observer., 1916-06-01

t ton Of ships . ~ forcing 81, 9. ,nsaueins ,sa
pose of seizing their mails. or thereby
obtain greater belligerent rights as to
such ships than thsy could exercise on
opinion of : the. government. OF the
United States, no legal distinction be-
tWeeh neh the ss1safe OF bandoned snd
their seizure from vessels voluntarily
or involuntarily in port. -
THE British and French practice
amounts TO an unwarranted limitation
of the use by neutrals of the worlds
highway for the transmission of cor
respondence The practice actually f9i.
said to justify the conclusion. there
fore, that the announcement of Feb
r1ary Is was merely notice that one NJ
make place for the development of an
other, more onerous and vexatious In
character.
Hague Rule Violated.
The present practice is a violation
not only of the spirit of the announce
Of The Hague Convention, upon which
1t is concededly based. Aside from this,
1t is violation Of the prior practice
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 citl-
zens of the United States. Important
papers which can never be duplicated.
T,t;a,1,, or can be duplicated only with great
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 are lost by
failure to transmit properly bids, speci-
fications and contracts.
Money Order Lists Missins.
Business correspondence. relating
to Legitimate and bona fide trade be-
tween neutral countries, correspond
ence of a personal nature. and also
certain official correspondence such as
money order lists and other matter
| forwarded by government departments.
streysd. ..s. ,,,, ~. . ,,.,,,,r .o,,,,.,.,,
interests injured, but rights of prop
erty are violated, and the rules of in
ternatiohal law and custom are palp-
II can only add that this continuing
offense has led to such losses to
| American citizens and to a possible
repair them, that this government will
be compelled in the near future to
press claims for full reclamation upon
|
crnment and that of the French Re-
Irut]ic.
| Details of United states stand.
THE government of the United
States is inclined to the opinion 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 as merchandise or
other articles of property and subject
to the same exercise Of belligerent
rights Money orders. checks. drafts
ments which may pass as the eauiva-
lent of money are, 1t is considered. also
| to be classed as merchandise.
Correspondence, including shipping
documents. money order lists ar.d pa
pers of that character. even though re-
lating to enemy supplies or exports.
the sh tRe sph
ed as genuine correspondence" and en-
titled to unmolested passage.
States. in view of the improper meth
DDS employed by the British and
French authorities in interrupting
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 oil
the United states suffer and continue
| to suffer through these methods.
Rights Must He Observed.
ITO submit to a lawless practice OF
this character would open the door to
repeated violations of international
law by the belligerent powers on the
| ground of military necessity. of which
the violator would be the sole judge
Manifestly a neutral nation cannot
| permit it's rights on the high seas to
be determined by belligerents or the
exercise OF these rights to be permit
ted or denied arbitrarily by the gov
ernment of warning nation.
"The rights of neutrals are as sa-
cred as the rights of belligerents and
must be as 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 proclaimed
and the disregard of which they have
urged as vigorously against their en-
emies in the present war, expects the
present practice of the British and
| French authorities in the treatment OF
mails from or to the United States tC
cease. and belligerent rights, as ex-
ercised, to conform to the principle
governing the passage of mall matter
and to the recognized practice of ma
| tions.
"Only a radical change in the pres
ent British and French policy. restor-
ing to the United States it's full rights
as neutral power. will satisfy this
| government.