The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1916-06-01

tion Of sAips ~ forcing or indseins
them t. visit their ports. for the Sur-
pose OF seixing their mails. or thereby
obtain greater belligerent rights AZ 20
such ships thaa they could exercise 80
ansnia. dhs high se.,; fs. sas.. "a IN In ,ss ,ss
United States. NO legal distinction ss-
tween the seixurs Of mai At sea.
which 10 announced - abandoned. and
their seixure from vessels voluntarily
"The British and French practice
amounts to An unvarranted Initiates
of the use by neutrals Of the worid's
Tor the 81 93s ss.
lowed by the allied powers must bs
said to justify the conclusion. there
lore. that the announcement of Feb
Illegal practice had been abandoned &c
make place for the development of an
other, more onerous and vexatious In
character.
Aasse Rass vssaaaeA.
The present practice is a violation
not only OF the spirit of the announce
ment of February Is. but OF the rul.
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.
The arbitrary methods employed bv
the British and French governments
have resulted most disasuously 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
suranc. claims. income tax returns and
similar matters. have been lost.
Delays in receiving shipping docu-
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.
Mosey Order Lists Nis.isg.
Business correspondence. relating
to legitimate and bona fide trade be-
tween neutral countries, correspond
ence of personal nature. and also
certain official correspondence such as
money order lists and other matter
forwarded by government departments.
are detained, lost or possibly de-
strOyed.
Not only are American commercial
interests injured. but rights OF prop
erty are violated, and the rules of In
te:nat onal law and custom are psip-
ably dlsregarded.
II can only add that this continuing
offense has led to such losses to
American citizens and to n possible
responsibility of the United States I,
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
ornment and that Of the French Re-
ublic.
Details Of UaiteA states staaA.
1.-The government of the United
States Is inclined to the opinion that
the class of mail matter which In
cludes stocks. bonds coupons and sim
liar securities is to be regarded as Of
the same nature as merchandise or
other articles of property and subject
to the same exercise OF beligerent
notes and other negotiable instru-
ments which may pass as the equiya-
lent of money are, 1t 10 considered. also
to be classed as merchandise.
Correspondence. including shipping
documents. money order lists and pa
pers of that character. even though re-
lating to enemy supplies or exports"
unless carried on the same ship as the
ion of this government. to be regard
ed as genuine correspondence and en-
titled to unmolested passage
The government of the United
ods employed by the British and
French authorities in interrupting
mails passing between the United
States and other neutral countries and
between tHe 5tdteS ana tnt Gil
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 BE Observed.
ITO submit to n lawless practice of
this character would open the door to
repeated violations of international
law by the belliSerent powers on the
ground of military necessity, of which
the violator would be the sole Judge.
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
ernment Of "A warning nation.
1.-The rights of neutrals are as sa-
crea as the rights of beiligercnts 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
and the disregard of which they have
urged as vigorously against their en-
emics in the present war. expects the
present practice of the British and
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 radical change In the pres
ent British and French policy. restor-
ing to the United States its full rights
as neutral power, will satisfy this
government.
"R0RERT I,ANSING"