Cheyenne record., 1916-06-01
STOP SEEING mail.
y. Q NOTIFIES BRITAIN AND
FRANCE IN VIGOROUS NOTE.
"LaSIess Praetiee". on Seas "No
Longer Can Be Tolerated." and
Allies Are Warned to Change
Policy

Policy
Western Newspaper Union News Service.
Washington. May 29-The text OF
the communication addressed to the
British and French ambassadors. Co
whom it was delivered Wednesday. In.
part follows:
May "a. 1916.-Excellency: / have the
honor to acknowledge receipt of your
excellency's note of April 3 last. trans
hitting ting memorandum dated February
stance to the American ambassador In
London on February 2Sth. in which are
stated the contentious Of the British
and French governments in regard to
the right to detain and examine par
eel and letter mails en- route by sea
between the United States and Eu-
rope.
After a discussion of the use of the
mails for the transmission of parcels
and of the limitations to be placed on
inviolable,' the joint memorandum OF
February 15 closes with the following
assertions:
81. That from the standpoint OF the
right of visitation and eventual arrest
and and. seizure e merchanaise ma h sniPpea ot ha IN
treated otherwise than merchandise
shipped in any other manner.
That the i1xiOabiiity 9f ,bs postal peisa
enth convention of The Hague of 1907
does not In any way AFFECT the right OF
the allied governments to visit and, II
occasion arise, arrest and seize mer
chandise hidden in the wrappers. IN:
velopes or letters contained in the mall
bags. r,.. .. >, that, ans.rsmsns,
and respectful of genuine correspond
ence' the allied governments will re-
frain for the present. on the high seas
respondence. letters or dispatches and
will insure their speediest possible
transmission, as soon as the sincerity
Of their character shall have been as
Allies CootentioD RejecteA
TN reply the government of thf
United States desires to state that it
does not consider that the postal union
convention of 1905 necessarily applies
French governments with the oversee
transportation of mails of which the
government of the United States COM
"Furthermore. the allied powers ap-
pear to have overlooked the admission
Of the government of the United States
ns. so the
belligerent rights as reeosnized by IN,
ternational law. But the government
Of the United States does not admit MT
exercise of the rights Of police super
vision, visitation and eventual seizure
which belongs to beiligereesntss s;It With ,: ref
as asserted in tho Joint note under &C.
acknowledgement.
Right ef Search linated.
'It is noted with satisfaction that the
British and French governments do not
claim. and. in the opinion Of this gSs. gov.
their so,cailed blockade measures are
sufficient grounds upon which to base
= right to Interfere with all classes OF
mail matter In transit to or from tne
central powers.
"On the contrary. their contention
appears to be that as genuine CORES
spOndence' is under conventional stipu-
lation Inviolable, mail matter OF other
classes is subject to detention and ex.
animation. While the government OF
correspondence' mall is inviolable. it
does not admit that belligerents may
search other private sea-borne mails
whether they contain articles of enemy
ownership carried on belligerent yes
sells or articles of contraband trans,
mail, though they may intercept at sea
all mails coming out of or going into
ports of the enemy's coasts which are
effectively blockaded.
Mails sei.ed in Port.
"The governments of the United
ever, appear to be in substantial agree.
ment as to principle. The method of
applying the principle Is the chief
Though giving assurances that they
consider genuine correspondence to be
inviolable,' and that they Will, true 20
their Eeam ssiz,ne and confiscat
ing such correspondence, the allied
governments proceed to deprive nsu :.
these assurances by seizing and con.
fiscating mail from vessels In port In
stead of at sea.
some form Of duress. to send their mail
ships via British ports , or they Rr;.aah dstaah
uh' ISstifiab1e means an illegal jurisdic-
tion.
Censorship Assailed.
Acting upon this enforced 5TrisdiSs; s;
genuine correspondence as well as
post PARCELS: take them to London,
Is o. openei
and critically examined. to determine
the sincerity of their character In
accordance With the interpsetathionp re h p.tt Ely
ish and French censors. FINALLY. the
expurgated remains Ii forwarded, fire.
quentiy after irreparable delay. to It's
Ships are detained on route to or
from the United States or to or from
other neutral countries, and mails are
held and delayed for several days, and.
in some cases. for weeks. and even
ports Of North Europe. via British
ports.
has been practiced since the an
nouncement Of February IT,, 1915. To
some extent, the same practice was fol-
lowed before that date. calling for the
< 1efe.s But to that protest the mem-
orandum under Acknowledgement
maker no reference and Is entA:ely
MSited states Insasts ON Position.
"The government of the United
states must again insist with emphasis
ments do not obtain rightful jurisdic-