Evening star., 1916-07-27
BLACKLIST IS MADE
AN ISSUE BY j. s.
Note of Protest to British Gov
ernment Is CabIed to
London.
OFFICIALS HERE BELIEVE
NEUTRAL RIGHTS INVADED
London Contention Is That England
Has Only Approached Cont
mental Position.

A note to Great Britain object
ing to the blacklisting of Ameri-
can business firms as an I'm
vasion of neutral rights was
cabled to London last night by
the State Department.
Acting Secretary Polk. announcing
today that the communication had been
dispatched. declined to discuss it fur
ther than to say that it contained rep
reservations" He said 1t would be
given out for publication Monday.
Satisfied List Is Illegal.
State Department officials believe
that their study OF the blacklist clearly
has proved that 1t Injuries American
firms in violation of international law.
Acting Secretary Polk talked over with
President Wilson yesterday facts laid
before him by the firms affected, and
the precedents on which the United
States will act.
When the principles involved are
taken up with the British government
it is expected that issue also will be
taken with France, Russia and Italy.
1t is understood here that in announc-
ing it's blacklist Great Britain really
acted in Difference to her allies. who
felt that their own merchants were suf-
fering and some British merchants
were profiting through failure of the
London government to follow the lead
of the continental powers in making
indiscriminate war upon all of their en-
emies, commercial as well military.
and upon those located in neutral coun-
tries as we'll as those resident in Ger
many and Austria Hungary.
British Governments Attitude.
The allies view of the legal aspects
of the black list order, which probably
will be the basis of the parliamentary
statement to be issued soon in London
and be Incorporated in the reply to the
American protest. is understood to be
as follows:
The allies agreed to enforce interna-
tfonal law against their enemies and
ton The continental rule. applied by
Germany, France. Italy and Russia.
interprets the word enemy" as a per-
son Of enemy origin or interest. English
and American precedents put the en-
phasis on domicile. Consequently Brit
trade with any enemy firm domiciled in
4 neutral country.
II the continental view of the law
were applied by Great Britain, sus-
picion would attach. the British govern
ment contends. to every firm of German
name in neutral country. The trade
of the British empire with the United
States for the eleven months ended
with May 80 amounted to two and a
half billion dollars, or almost half of
the total foreign commerce Of America.
OF all the firms engaged in this trade
only thirty-one have been declared to
be enemy firms.
A withdrawal of the list. II ia
feet OF casting suspicion upon trans
actions with all firms with German
names which are acting entirely In
neutral interest and whose profits are
the prohibition to trade with these
firms would be to transfer British
business from firms acting in the in
terest of Germany to firms acting in
the interest of the United States.
Claim Benefits to Americans.
1t is expected by Great Britain that
iE operation the measure will benefit
those firms which are purely Amer
lean ip character as DISTINGUISHED
from those firms which, though one
rating here. really are trading In for
eign interest. In cases where injury
to purely American interests has re-
suited Great Britain will be glad to
entertain and carefully consider rem
reservations
The rule TO prohibit trading with the
enemy, either directly or indirectly.
and the right of sovereign govern
ment to prohibit its subjects from
trading with any one-friend or foe
was maintained by the United States
Great Britain is ready to point out
in 1907. 1909 and during the civil war
Furthermore. II the United States gov
ernment is disposed to challenge the
risnt to issue black lists 1t cannot rely,
~ is argued. upon the support even OF
Germany in its contentious. as the
government of that country already
has committed itself to the extreme
continental view toward which the
British government is making only a
ANAL approach