New Britain herald., 1916-05-27

or which the Government Of the i United States complains. Further more, the Allied Powers appear to have overooked the admission of the Government of the United States that post parcels may be treated as mer- chandise subject to the exercise of belligerent rights as recognized by in ternational law. But the Government
 of the United States does not admit
 that such parcels are subject to the
 "exercise of the rights of police super
 vision, visitation, and eventual seizure
 which belongs to belligerents as to
 all cargoes on the high seas.'' as as
 serted in the joint note under ac-
 knowledgm ent.
 It is noted with satisfaction that the British and French Governments do not claim, and, in the opinion Of this Government properly do not claim, that their so- called "blockade' measures are sufficient grounds upon which to base a right to interfere with all classes of mail matter in transit to or from the Central Poyers. On the contrary, their contention appears to be that, as "genuine correspon- dence" is under conventional stipu- lation "inviolable,'' mail matter of other classes is subject to detention and examination. While the Govern ment of the United States agrees that
 genuine correspondence" mail is inviolab1e, it does not admit that bel lgerents may search other private sea-borne mails for any other pur- pose than 10 discover whether they contain articles of enemy ownership carried OH belligerent vessels or ar ticles of contraband transmitted un- der sealed covers as letter mail, though they may intercept at sea all mails coming out of and going into ports of the enemy's coasts which are effectively blockaded. The Govern ments of the United States, Great Britain, and France, however, ap- pear to be in substantial agreement as to principle. The method of ap- plying the principle Is the chief cause of difference.
 Promises, More Promises.
 Though giving assurances that they consider genuine correspondence'' to be 'fnviolable,'' and that they will,
 true to their engagements, refrain
 Ion the high seas'' from seizing and conf1scating such correspondence, the Allied Governments proceed to de- prive neutral Governments of the benefits of these assurances by seiz- ing and confiscating. mail from ves- sels in port instead of at sea. They compel neutral ships without just cause to enter their own ports, or they induce shipping lines, through some form of duress. to send their mail ships via British ports, or they detain all vessels merely calling at British ports, thus acquiring by force of unjustifiable means an illegal ju- risdictiOn. Acting upon this enforced jurisdiction, the authorities remove all mail, genuine correspondence as well as post parcels, take them to London, where every piece, even though of neutral origin and destination, is opened and critically examined to determine the sincerity of their in accordance with the given that undefined phrase by the British and French censors. Finally the expurgated re- mainder is forwarded, frequently af- ter irreparable delay, to it's destina- tion. Ships are detained en route to or from the United States or to and from other neutral countries, and mails are held and delayed for several days, and, in some cases, for weeks and even months, even though not routed to ports of North Europe via British ports. This has been the pro- cedure which has been practiced since the announcement of Feb. IS, 1916. To some extent the same prac- tice was followed before that date, calling forth the protest of this Gov