The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1916-07-31
Text of Blockade
Note to England

THE announcement that his Brit
tanic majesty's government has
placed the names of certain persons.
nrms and corporations in the United
States upon a proscriptive black
list and has forbidden all. financial
or commercial dealings between
them and citizens of Great Britain,
has been received with the most
painful surprise by the people and
Government Of the United States.
and seems to the Government of the
United States to embody a policy
trail trade against which 1t is its
DUTY to protest in the most decided
terms.
The scope and effect Of the policy
are extraordinary. British steam
ship companies will not accept car
goes from the prescribed firms or
persons or transport their goods to
neutral ownership understand that
y they accept freight from them
they are likely to be denied coal ut
British ports and excluded from
other privileges which they have
usually enjoyed. and may them
'ess Ss put nRen the rs Saek dss.
those on the list and neutral mer-
chants decline to contract for their
goods. fearing a like prescription.
1T a.Sears that British Officials
regard me prohibitions Of the black
list as applicable to domestic COM
Uercial transactions In foreign
countries as we'll as in Great Britain
and her dependencies. for Americans
doing business In foreign countries
pave been put on notice that their
dealings with blacklisted firms are
to be regarded as subject to veto
by the British government
BY the same principle Americans
In the United States might be made
subject to siInilar punitive action
" they were found dealing with any
OF ther own countrymen whose
names had thus been listed.
The harsh and even disastrous CT
fects OF this policy upon the trade
OF the United States and upon the
neutral rights upon which II will not
fail to insist are obvious.
Upon the list OF those prescribed
and in effect shut out from general
commerce of the world may be found
American concerns which are en-
gagged In large commercial operations
as importers of foreign products and
materials and distributors OF Ameri-
can products ana manufactures to
foreign countries. ard which consti-
tute important channels through
which American trade reaches the
outside world,
Their foreign affiliations may have
been fostered for many years. and
when once broken cannot easily or
promptly he re-established. Other
concerns may be put upon the list
at any time and without notice.
1T Is understood that additions to
the prescription may be made whom
ever on account of enemy nationality
Of
or bodies OF persons II appears to his
majesty expedient to do so.
The possibilities of undeserved in
fury to American citizens from such
measures, arbitrarily taken. and OF
serious and incalculable Interruptions
of American trade are without limit.
It has been stated on behalf of his
maiesty's government that these
measures were aimed only at the enc
mics of Great Britain. and would
be adopted and enforced with strict
regard to the rights OF neutrals and
with the least possible detriment to
neutral trade. but 1t Is evident that
they are inevitably and essentially
inconsistent with the rights of the
volved in war.
The Government OF the United
States begs to remind the govern
ment of his Britannia majesty that
citizens of the United States are en-
tirely within their rights In attempt
Ing to trade with the people of the
governments of any of the nations
now at war. subject only to well de-
fined International practices and un-
derstandngs, which the Government
OF the United States deems the gov
eminent of Great Britain to have too
lightly and too frequently disregard
ed.
There are well known remedies and