New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-08-19
THE FRANCO-BRITISH BLACKLISTS
Defended as Justfable Moderate Peauton by Mr. Edward
Andrews Representative of the Corporation of Foreign
Bondholders Of London

expedition to the financing Of a conspiracy
to blow up powder works. Upon the princi-
pie of responsibility for harboring such
malefactors our government would be bound
to indemnify the belligerent for injuries
committed, assuming that we were negligent
in permitting these unneutral doings.
This unneutral service is the most objec-
tionable form Of individual wrongdoing dur
ing the tendency of war When residents
of neutral countries undertake to penetrate
blockade, or to risk the shipment of con-
traband goods, the ventures are quasi-legiti
mate, being subject only to the chance Of
capture. In those instances the transactions
are conducted solely for personal profit. But
when individuals in a neutral country engage
in a career known as unneutral service their
dongs assume a political complexion. They
are intended to benefit a belligerent govern
ment, and, originating on neutral soil, they
undermine the relations of the neutral gov
eminent with the injured beligerents The
business is infected also with the fundamen-
raj vice of its surreptitious character. These
firms with a double domicle purport to be
dealing between New York and London when
they are really using their American domi-
cile to deal between London and Frankfort,
accounting for large shares of their profits in
aggravated when the firm in New York con-
sists partly of members of German origin,
and is therefore more likely TO be en- rap
port with the German Government. In fact,
the field of operation of this international
personality OF business firms is greatly ex-
tended by the ubiquity of German agencies
in commercial centres all over the world.
These are some of the factors which the
Entente powers are called upon to sntag
onize.
No country has asserted the doctrine of
the wrongfulness of unneutral service more
strongly than the United States. 1t would be
tedious to specify the numerous acts which
international law condemns under this cate
CORY They include the communication of
hostile information by the carriage Of CORE
spondenee, or serving as cover therefor. Our
State Department has, under preceding adj
ministrations, denounced such acts as pecu
liarly Objectionable when committed by our
citizens, on the ground that we are presumed
to be directly potential in the government Of
our country and are therefore strictly bound
not to contravene its policy OF neutrality.
Upon these principles any inhabitants OF the
United States engaging in unneutral prac-
tees are liable to be treated by the injured
bellgerent as enemies. II is therefore APP
parent that the Administration would be UNI
warranted in an attempt TO limit the conse
quences to the perpetrators OF such unneu-
trail conduct. BY their behavior in endanger-
ing our national position they have forfeited
any claim to the aid of the United States for
wardng off the commercial consequences of
their acts. Our State Department is not or
ranized for the benefit of individuals who
subvert the conditions Of their domicile and
~ g. ...s.
antagonistic to our declared national policy.
In its recent dispatch to England, our State
Department refers to the subject of blockade
and contraband as the sole limitation upon
neutral individuals. But our official history
negatives this position and includes unneu-
trail conduct in the most Objectionable cate
CORY Of acts prohibited by the law of nations.
1t is true that this trespass has in our his
tory been more frequently committed through
the instrumentality OF neutral property
using our shipping for the improper coaing
Of enemy vessels However by reason Of
the presence CT our large alien population,
unneutral personal activities, such as signal
ling information to a belligerent over the
wires or through the mails, have recently be-
come more familiar. Indeed, they may en-
tail more serious consequences than acts
more grossly physical.
Whatever the form the unneutral con-
duct may be on the part of native born citi-
zens Of the United States, naturalized citizens
or mere aliens, they must accept the indirect
as well the direct business consequences
of their disloyal conduct toward this govern
ment. 1t is needless therefore to observe
that they have no claim to the Intervention Of
our government with the injured belligerents.
E. L. ANDREWS.
New York, Aug. u, 1915.