, 1916-05-31

benefits of these assurances by selzln9 and
coIi seating mill from vessels in port instead
of at sea. They compel neutral sh'p s without
Just cause to eater 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 Bsitish ports thus acquiring by force or
uni1stifiable means an illegal Jurisdiction.
Acting upon this enforced jurisdiction the
authorities remove all mail general cores
pondence as well as post parcels, take them
to London where every pi"ce even though
of neutral origin and destination, is opened
and critically examined to determine the
"sinceritY of their character" IN accordance
with The inference given that underlined
phrase by the British and French Censors.
Finally the expurgated remainder Is for
warded frequently after irreparable delay to
its destination. Ships are detained en- route
to or from the United States or to or from
other neutral countries, and mails are held
aud delayed for several days aud III 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 practised since the commencement
of February 18Th. 1916. To some extent
the same practice was followed before that
dare calling forth the protest of this
Government on january 4th. 1916. But
to that protest the memorr ndum under
acknowledgment makes no reference
aud is entirely unresponsive. The Gov
eminent of the United States again
must insis; with emphasis that the British
and French Governments do not obtain
rjghtful jurisdiction of ships by forcing or
inducing them to visit their ports for the
purpose Of Selling their mails, or thereby
obtain greater belli9erent rigets as to shch
ships than they could exercise Oh the high
sens, for there is i'll the opinion of the Gov
ernment of the United States no legal dis
~tinctlon between the seizure Of mails at sea,
which is announced as abandoned, and their
seizure from vessels voluntarily OF involun-
tarily in port. The British and French
practice amounts to an Nnwarranted limita-
ton on the use by neut rails of the worlds
highway for the TRANSMITS sion of correspon-
dence. The practice actually followed by
the Allied Powers must be said to Justify the
conclusion that the announcement of Feb
ruary 18th was merely notice that one lie
o1l practice had beer abandoned to make
place for the development of another more
onerous and vexatious IN character. The
present practice is a violation not only of the
spirit of the announcement of February 10Th,
but of the rule of The Hague Convention
upon which it is concededly based. Aside
from this it is a violation of the prior prac-
tice of nations which Great Britain and her
Allies have in the past insisted to establish
and maintain, notwil hstanding the statement
in the memorandum chat as late as 1907
the letters and despptches themselves could
be seized and conhscated." During the war
between the United States and Mexico the
United States forces allowed British steamers
to enter and depart from the port OF Vera
Cruz without molesting the mails intended
for inland points. During the American Civ
il War, Lord Russell endeavoured to induce
the United Staie s to concede that cher Maj
esty's mails on board a private vessel should
be xempted from visitation or detention"
This exemption of mails was urged I'D Octo-
Der 1862 i'll the case of British mails on board
Adela. Or October 31St. Secretary Seward
announced hat public mails OF any friendly or
neutral Power duly certified or authenticat-
ed rs such shall not be searched or opened
but be put as speedily as may be convenient
on the way to their designed destination.
In accordance with this announcement, the
Government of the United States in the
case OF the British ship Peterhoff which had
been seized with her mails against her pro-
test of Her Majesty's Government had her
mails forwarded to her destination unopened
Vho q ~ r1lo was foIlowad hy France as [