Norwich bulletin., 1916-04-26
Right to Intercept contraband.

Right to Intercept contraband.
 The right of a beligerent to inter- cept cOntraband on its way 10 his enemy" it says, is fundamental and lncontesubie and ought not to be re- s;rictcd to interccptinr contraband winch happens to be accompanied on board the ship by proofs sufficient to condemn ft 1ygiat Is essential Is to determine whether or not the goods were on their way tO the enemy If they were, a belliEerent Is entitled fb deiain them and having regard to the nature ofthe struggle in which the al- lies were engaged, they are com peiled to take the most effectuaI steps to exercise that right"
 Prize Court Procedure.
 Tn a Ion= discussion of prize court Tro~e0uTn- fna note gives aseu-a-lce8 thst Ire '"-r-s- -lu-cru1rt' do not over r-ce lI--Err .E.rlf law r-H that the prize c7Ur- h-s fTil power Go decide that any ~f-rn aE- -rE-r those or t--s i7 il.---I and -B entertain any claim for compensation on that basls. That assurance seemingly Is borne out b ythe recent decision of the prfvy council in the case of the Zamora. handed down since the note was drafted. which secures to neutrals the right to invoke international law be- fore the British prize court as against tho orders of the British government As in a previous note in answer to inc contention that commerce of the United States is being destroyed by inc British inte-ferences. figures fs- sued by the United States department Of comerce are quoted to show that exports 10 the Scandinavian countries and Holland increased from ss7 GOO 900 In 1913 to S255. 100000 in 1915.
 Where Complaints Emanated From. Tn the face of such ffeures- savs
 
 cent the contention that the prize court procedure in Great Britain has practically destroyed much of the ex- port trade of the United States to neutral countries in Europe and the inference Is suggested fs that If com plaints have been made to the admin | istration at Washington by vvouia-be exporters they emanated not from persons who desired to engage in genuine commerce with the neutral 10 disratSn gcccs to the enemy under cover Of neutral destination and who found the prize court under the new procedure"
 Goods Were Bound For Germany. l At this point the note takes up the American contention that goods com | prising part of the common stock of the neutral country to which they are ! consigned should not be intercepted | IL replies that "the question bv whether goods despatched to a neu- | tral port were intended to become part | of the mass of merchandise for sale in | that country is one of fact" It de- | ciares that when the allies found it | necessary to intercept shipments of | cotton to Sweden it transpired that | though the quays and warehouses of | GotheEburg were congested with cot | ton there was none available for the | use of the spinners in Sweden It | gf FnT H-s. T,-fa l ish hands proved that goods were not | intended for the consumption of neu- | trals to whom they were consiRued
 but were bound to Germany.
 Theory Versus Application.
 However sound the principle that ! goods intended for incarceration in the common stock of a neutral country
 should not he treated as contraband. may be in theory says the note s'it
 is one that can have but little appH- | cation to tho present imports of the | Scandinavian countries.
 The circumstances of a large num-
 her of these shipments negative any
 shipments for the importing countries. | Many of them arc made to persons ! who are apparently nominees of en-
 emy agents and who never figured be-
 fore as imT orter5 of such articles. ! CnnsiCnmeTI oc meat products are
 addressed tO liEhternen and dock la
 horcrs- Several thousands of tons of
 such goods have been found docu-
 mented for a neutral port and ad-
 dressed to firms which do not exist there. Large consirnnents of similar
 -oods were addressed to a baker, to
 the keener of private hotel or maker
 If musical instruments VIII 1t be
 contended that such imports ought to he rerarded a- honafde shinments in-
 tended to become part of the common
 ~'0ck of a country
 Rules Not Adjusted to Modern Times ''In tho presence of facts such as those indicted above tho United States government will it fS believed arree with His Mafestv's government , .hat no heTliEerent could in modern , times submit to ba hound hv a rule bat no goods could he scized unleaf ? -hrv were accompanied hv papers } which established their destination tc
 an enemy country and that au deten.
 tions of ships and goods must uni.
 formly be based on proofs oD-ainet l at the time of seiZure. To press am 2 such theory Is tantamount to aslini ! that nll trade between neutral port a shall be free and would thus rendei = nuento-y the exercise of sea powei . and destroy the pressure which thl r command of the sea enables the allie.
 to impose upon their enemy.
 8 Tt is of course inevitable that n.
 (continued on Paaa Einhkl