The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1916-01-21
SENIOR GEORGIA SENATOR
TAKES ENGLISH TO TASK
FOR THEIR ACTION DURING
THE WAR.
DELIVERS A STRONG SPEECH
He Denounces the Treatment
American Cotton Is Receiving
by England-Was Non-Con-
traband During Civil War.

w WASHlNGION, Jan. 20.-Gfeat
Britains Interference with neutral
trade was the subject of a vigorous
speech in the senate today by Senator
Hoke Smith, who plead for action to
prevent England from advancing her
own trade at the expense of the Unit
ed States while attempting to destroy
Germany commercially. He declared
that the rights of citizens of the
United States and other neutral ma
tons We're being recklessly disregard
ed and emphasized particularly what
he denounced as Great &itain's law
less treatment of Americas cotton
trade
Discussing the action of the allies
in proclaiming cotton as contraband,
the senator quoted from a statement
prepared for him by Howard w.
Bible, now in Washington after IA trip
to Germany, who reported that he
had learned through personal investi-
cation that Germany had developed a
process for using wool pulp as a
cheaper and more effective substitute
for cotton in the manufacture OF ex-
plosives. lie asserted that Germany
had not used cotton for this purpose
in over eight months.
Senator Smith described as silly
and untrue statements that the
United States made cotton contra
band during he Civil War, declaring
that only once before in history had
cotton been declared contraband. and
it was done then during the Russo
Japan war by Russia, who promptly
gave way in he face of a protest
from Great Britain. British authori-
ties were quoted also 10 prove that
foCdstuffs are subject to seizure only
when actually consigned OF armed
forces of an enemy
Shall we quietly continue TO fur.
nish Great Britain what she is com
PEELED to obtain from the United
States while the commercial rights of
citizens Of this country are trampled
under foot?" asked the senator
Great Britain cannot continue the
war without munitions from the
United States. Great Britain cannot
feed her population without food
stufis from the United States and
other neutrals. Great Britain cannot
keep her million and a half people
engaged in the Lancashire mills at
work sixty days without cotton from
the United States.
Great Britain cannot accomplish
her scheme for worldwide domina-
ton of commerce in her vast prod
ucts of manufactured fabrics
without cotton from the United
States.
"The administration has forcefully
brought to the attention Of Great
i Britain the rights Of citizens of this
country. 1t has been demonstrated
that citizens of neutral countries have
the right to ship foodstuffs and cot
ton in unlimited quantities to the
| noncombatan inhabitants Of Ger
many and Austria.
He declared congress slept ovel
the rights Of shippers of foodstuff'
! last winter, adding that each day
/ brings new evidence Of Great Brit
aims disregard for neutral rights.
BY firmness, peaceful neutrals car
easily obtain their rights from botl
| beiligerents.
'Paraphrasing ne language Of Mr.
! Jefferson, England may feel the desire
Of absorbing the commerce Of Ger
many and Of starving her people, bu
! she can have no right Of doing it a
our loss or Of making us the instru
ment OF it"
| Referring to statement made b,
Sir r. Finlay to the British paria
ment in 1911 that no country how
ever powerful, would incur the dis
pleasure and possible hostility o
such a power as the United State
by putting forward an unfoundet
claim TO treat food brought to Grea
Britain as contraband Of warfare,
Senator Smith added:
81 wonder what he thinks Of tn
United States now when we submit
not only to the seizure Of vessel
destined to German ports, carrying
food8tulfs, but to the seizure Of yes
Eels destined to neutral ports q
Holland and Sweden, and peruli
Great Britain, disregarding rules Of