El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-04-04
ALLIES KEEP UP
MAIL ANNOYANCE
Note Makes Plain Views OF
Britain and France Re
garding Mail Seizure.

Washington. q. C.. April 4.-Great
| Britain and France, in their reply "
] the American protest against lhte5Leif
ence with neutral mails. have maue IL
! plain they intend TO keep on OBTAINING
mail and Selling such as in their Dellei
! warrants seizure.
The note declares that no legitimate
I letter mall had been cOnflscated hot
any treaty rights violated, but emphat-
/ ically asserted the allies Intention 10
continue searching parcel post paSk- I
ages for contraband concealed uhuei
In regard to true correspondence
, the note says.
The allied governments will continue
for the present 10 refrain from seizinB
( and confiscating at sea these cores, !
pondences, letters and dispatches ana
that they will insure the most raplu
! transition Of them possible. as soon as
Eenuiness Of their character is known.
The vigorous protest of the United
States against the treatment OF neu-
trail mails was based largely on eVl-
dence in the possession Of the state
department that while mails had not
always been searched at sea. neutral
ships upon being taken into British
ports for inspection had their mails re-
moved, detained and otherwise inter-
fered with The reply does not men
ton this phase OF the controversy. The :
protest was in the form Of a memoran-
dunn to ambassador Page at London. Ii
stated specifically that the American
that parcel post shipments were sub
1ect TO the same treatment ACCORDED
goods sent by freight or express.
In regard to parcel post shipments
the communication says merchandise
shipped under the shape Of parcel post
must not and shall not be treated diff
ferently from the merchandise in any
other way"
The allied governments assert their
right to search general mail in the
following language:
No Bar 10 Search.
That the inviOlability of postal cor |
respondeuce, stipulated by convention
No II OF The Hague treaty of 1907
carries by no means any prejudice 10
the right of the allied governments 10
visit and investigate the goods which
are falsely deposited in the covers, en-
velopes or letters contained in the mail
sacks"
The text OF the allies note, as made
public by the state department. was in
French IT is about 1000 words long
and opens with the statement that the
treatment Of postal correspondents
carried during the present war, has
been the cause OF various uncertain
ties and that the allied governments |
think il wise TO dispel criticisms OF
their course.
Made Posts InviOIable.
AT the time of the second confer !
ence at The Hague in 1907 the COM |
munication says, the German imperial |
government pointed out that since the !
means Of communication more rapid |
and safe than the post there was no /
longer any interest in considering, as |
formerly postal correspondence as /
able TO constitute articles Of contra
band By analogy and In impeding their /
shipment by seizure and confiscation-
This proposition, in appearance so |
specific, having inspired confidence in /
the other powers, they adopted this /
viewpoint. The article OF convention |
No IL of The Hague, 1907 stipulates as /
is known. that henceforth postal cor
respondence S. inviolable on the sea
"A first observation must be made 1
concerning the parcel posts.
parcels Post Like Freight.
The sending Of any merchandise by |
parcel post is a way Of shipping and
transportation similar to transporta-
ton by means of shipping bills or /
bills Of lading, with the difference |,
that this transportation is undertaken 4
by postal service.
such parcels can be considered as
letters cOrrespOndences or dis /
patches and il is clear that nothing /
can save them from the exercise Of
the right of police control. visit and /
eventual seizure which belong TO bel
ligerents on the high seas in regard !
TO all cargoes.
Rubber and RevOIverS-
Among other numerous examples il
viii be sufficient to quote 1902 parcel I
past packages, containing 4Sf,olO Kill
ograms Of rub Der for Hamburg (steam-
Acre. Linda, Para and BraziD or again
SO parcels containing 400 revolvers for
Germany via Amsterdam (steamer
Germans Destroy Mail.
Concerning the shipping Of letters, |
folders, envelopes or others, entrusted |
to the postal service and commonly
posted in the postal bags Of the postal
administrations Of the countries from !
which the shipping Is made, the allied
governments call the attention Of the
neutral governments to the following
considerations:
Der 81, 1915. the German or Austrian
naval authorities have de-
strOysd without warning or previous ]
inspection i 8 mail boats with the postal
neutral or allied countries, without
caring for the inviOlability Of the dis
patches and correspondence which they
contained any more than for the inof-
fensive persons on board these
No Protest sent Germany.
1T is not within the knowledge OF
the allied governments that any pro-
testation concerning postal correspond
ence ever has been addressed to the
imperial governments.
"On the dates Of August II, II and is,
1915. the neutral postal pack boat Iris. !
(NOrwegian), Haakon VII (NOrwe-
gian), and Germania (Swedish) had
their mail sacks OF all places Of origin
ana destination Selleu on DOdrn by the
German naval authorities; the letters
and correspondence were censored by
the German authorities, as is shown
by the photographs herewith annexed
as a sample.
The allied governments are Of the
opinion that later on the imperial
Serman government, while announcing ]
is intention no longer to practice these !
has declared that these seiz- !
ires were and would be perfectly justi-
lied in its eyes.
Claim Convention Doesn't Apply.
According to the German imperial |
government convention No. II Of the ,
5ague treaty, 1907, not having been /
'atified by all the present belhgerent |
powers, would be without application. |
Finally, more recently. the control ,
,ver the territory of the allies Of va
ious postal sacks. loaded upon pack / I
loats which made stops at certain ports |
n the said territory. has revealed the
presence in wrappers, envelopes and
POSTAL shipments OF articles of contra /