The Elk Mountain pilot., 1916-07-22

, tion of ships by forcing or inducing
them to visit their ports, for the pur-
obtain greater beliigerent rights as 10
such ships than they could exercise on
the high seas; for there is In the the
United States, no legal distinction be-
tween the seizure of mails at sea.
which is announced as abandoned. and
| 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
Irespondence. The practice actually fol-
lowed by the allied powers must be
| said to justify the conclusion. there
| fore, that the announcement of Feb
ruary 15 was merely notice that one
Illegal practice had been abandoned to
other. more onerous and vcxatious In
| character.
Hague Rule violated.
The present practice is violation
not only of the spirit of the announce
ment Of February 10. but OF the rule l,,
it is concededly based Aside from this
it is violation OF the prior practice
of nations which Great Britain and her
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 citi-
zens of the United states. Important
| papers which can never be duplicated
| or can be duplicated only with great
| difficulty. such as United States pat
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 doeu-
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 Missing.
| 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
Not only are American commercial
interests injured. but rights of prop
tesnat onal Jaw and custom are palp-
ably disregarded.
| offense has led to such losses to
| American citizens and to possible
responsibility OF the United states T.
repair them. that this government Will
be compelled in the near future to
press claims for full reclamation upon
the attention OF His Majesty's gov
=
II usl:c.
Details of United states Stand.
| The government of the United
States is Inclined to the opirion that
the class of mail matter which IN
cludes stocks bonds, coupons and sim
the same nature as merchandise or
other articles of property and subject
to the same exercise OF belligerent
| rights. Money orders, checks. drafts.
\ Dtea
IN. nts which may pass as the equlva-
lent of money are. II is considered. also
| to be classed as merchandise.
| Correspondence, including shipping
documents. MONEY order .sts and pa
! pers of that character, even though re.
iating to enemy supplies or exports"
| un ess carried on the same ship as the
property referred to, are. in the opin-
| lon of this government, to be regard
| ed as genuine correspondence" and en-
| titled to unmolested passage
States. in view Of the improper meth:
DDS employed by the British and
mails passing between the United
States and other neutral countries ana
between the Ui.ited states and the en-
emies of Great Britain can no longe.,
| tolerate the wrongs which citizens OF
the United States suffer and continue
| to suffer through these methods.
Rights Must lie Observed.
ITO submit to lawless practice of
!
repea.ed violations of international
| law by the bel.iGerent powers on the
ground of military necessity. of which
| the violator would be the sole Judge.
| Manifestly neutral nation cannot
permit its 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
cement f a warning nation.
The rights of nsutrals are as sa-
ere. as the rights of be .gerents 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 often proclai med
and the disregard OF which thty have
! urged as vigorously against their en-
| emies in the present war expects the
present pi actice of the British ana
| French authorities in the treatment OF
| mails from or to the United States to
cease. and belligerent rights. as ex-
ercised. to conform to the principle
governing the passage of mail matter
and to the recognized practice OF ma
tions.
"Only n radical change in the pres
| ent British and French policy. ressor-
ing to the United States its fun rights
as n neutral power. will satisfy this
government.
ROBERT LANSING"