The Washington times., 1916-09-18
One Question Concerns Opening
Of Navy Mail by British
Censor.
NEW ORDER IS DISCUSSED


zhe State Department has made Off
Gal inquiry OF the British government
concerning two new restrictive meas
ures which have aggravated the dip
iomatic controversy between the two
governments.
One inquiry concerns the opening by
Columbia. OF official mall to the Navy
department from. naval officers In the
orient. Letters In official envelopes
marked Opened by censor were turn
"a over TO the State Department on
their receipt by Secretary Daniels.
Inquiry In this case Is preliminary to
vigorous protest unless satisfactory ex-
PLANTATION or reputation OF the censor's
acts are given by Great Britain.
order restricting American trade with
Holland. This was made the subject OF
discussion at a conference between Sec
rotary Lansing and Chevalier van Rap
pard. the Netherlands minister.
Discuss Joint Action.
There was renewed discussion Of the
possibility OF joint action by the Uni
ted States and Holland. and probably
with such other neutrals as Argentina
and the scandinavian countries to ere. re-
rotary Lansing will not discuss that
subject.
In connection with discussion OF the
possibility OF joint neutral action, the
developments of the last few days have
brought demand from many quarters
that the Administration invoke the re-
taliatory weapon given by Congress In
forcing Great Britain to relax its mails
and trade restrictions.
Secretary Lansing has received no Of.
fetal information as to the scope Of
the new British orders refusing 10 AZ
low the Netherlands Overseas Trust to
ana declining to grant letters of as
surance for certain American shipments
destined to Holland and the Scandinav-
ian countries of Norway. Sweden. and
Denmark.
British Reply Belated.
\ Neither had Secretary Lansing any
further information as to when the
pected. although he had received an
tntimation earlier that the reply would
be In Washington before the middle of
The entire British diplomatic situation
has taken on an air of seriousness
more apparent than at any time since
the European war started. ..-
On the one hand there 10 strong poiit-
Administration. to MAKE use Of the
weapon given by Congress to retaliatt
against Great Britain.
On the other hand. the action or the
nle,btItGreat Britain ID StaweQ because
Great ritain has continually kept the
United States In the dark regarding tn,
scope and purposes of It's trade restric'
ton moves.
Not only has the State Department.
protests In the note of May "a on tn,
mails gone unanswered. except for ar
unsatisfactory preliminary reply. but
there has been no official informal ioI
yet received as to the intention Of Grea
Britain as reflected In the recent state
ment in Parliament Of David Lloyd
George that Great Britain feels free /,
use information obtained through thu
censorship for ANY national purpose"
Charge Effort to Becloud.
Irritation was expressed at the Stat,
Department today over Lloyd George
csbled charges that the stir created Il
official circles at Washington over hi
statement in Parliament appeared to b.
"a deliberate campaign set on foot Il
the United States by German agents."
The only information received by tn
State Department on this subject wa
that contained In the official record o
Parliament. giving the text Of Lloyd
Georges statement. In the light Of thi
fact charges that a mail censorship
propaganda In on foot were branded a
efforts to becloud the issue.