Arizona republican., 1916-01-18
ALLIES PLAN TO
 BLOCKADE ALL
 NEUTRAL PORTS
Republican A. p. Leased Wire1

WASHINGTON, Jan. 17-Plans of the entente allies to declare a formal blockade of German ports, it was learned to night, have been the sub ject of exchanges between diplomatic representatives of the allies here, and in an informal way. between the di- plomats and officials of the state de- pertinent.
 according to information here, the program contemplates virtual eX- tension of the blockade to the Eu- ropean reutrals by rigid application of the ultimate destination doc Urine. and delay in putting the plans into effect is attributed entirely to reluctance on the part of France and possibly Italy, to accept the British view of the rights of a belligerent in this respect
 The subject has been approached with great caution and it is said, with a thoroueb al preciation of the probability of all outbreak of anti British feeling ia congress. Ar effort is being made by the diplomats to determine tLe sUeEsth of American feeling generally on this subject and the European chancellors are being kept daily advised of the daily de- velopments.
 Application of the blockade to neu- trals, for which the British contend cedent in the civil war is fully ex- pected to result in supplementing the opposition of the United States by the very bitter protests of Holland Denmark and Sweden and possibly Norway.
 Except for this feature, there might be little objection to the substitution of a real blockade, for what are re garded here as the wholly illegal or 1 ders in council.
 1 At present the allies are stopping all commerce with the Teutonic pow CTS directly by these orders in coun- 1 Cil, and are restricting indirect com merce by actual seizures through agreements with the neutral countries of northern Europe to embargo eX- ports into Germany and Austria. 1 One of the interested diplomatic representatives pointed out today that therefore the promulgatiOn of a blockade really would not very great " change existing conditions so far as the admission of American goods into the Teutonic countries was con cerned.
 A substantial difference, however would be the claim of a belligerent cargo, of the right to cOnfiscate her if she sought to run the block ade. instead of merely detaining her I and paying for her cargo taken.
 France is said to object to the British view of the right to blockade a neutral port, realizing that in the future France might thus be cut off from the right to import goods from the United States through adjacent countries. The British contention however, is that such neutral ports as Rotterdam in Holland. and Nal mo in Sweden, to all intents and pur- poses are German ports during tho war and only by closing them tC German commerce could the allies plan of starving out Germany ant Austria be made effective.
 These views have finally prevailed among the allies, it is stated, anC
 while, because of her geographical location, to Great Britain will fall the task of enforcing the blockade in tho
 North sea as similar duty falls up
 on France and Italy in the Mediter
 ranean, it is stated by the representa-
 tives here of all the entente power!
 that they now stand as a unit in thu
 assertion of the right to cut off com
 pete trade either directly or indi-
 rectly with the teutOnic power.
 The blockade even is immediately effective, will not prevent eXportatior to America of the goods of German origin which have been gathered a
 Rotterdam that were bought ant
 paid for by American importers prio
 to March 15, 1915. Notice to this
 effect has been given to the stat'
 departments trade advisers by thu British embassy.