Arizona republican., 1916-07-24
[RepubIIean A. p. Leased WIrel

LONDON, July 23.-In reply to q number of criticisms which the pub lication of a list of S7 American in dividuals and firms with which Eng fish firms are forbidden to do busi- ness under the trading with the enc my act, has met with in America and here Laming Worthington Evans, chief of the department of foreign trade of the foreign office made the following statement to the Associated Press:
 The statutory list has been com piled from one point of View only, namely, to prohibit British citizens from supporting firms which are strengthening our enemies. The test applied before putting a firm domi ciled in America on the statutory list is this:
 Is the firm by it's business opert- tions strengthening our enemies2 If so then British firms may not sup port it.
 Tt is one of the principal lessons of the world war that the strength of a belligerent does not consist only in the resources and supplies avail able in it's own territory, but also on those upon which he can draw from neutral countries. As a result of the semi military organization which the German government has imposed on its commerce, every German firm throughout the world is an outpost, seeking to do it's utmost to assist Germany in her effort to dominate Europe. and the fact that they are established in neutral countries in many cases makes them more for midable and their activities less easy n Ot baYs ha the case.
 Can it then be said fairly than when the British government is fully aware of these activities it should do nothing to frustrate them? Can it be claimed fairly that instead of endeaV- bring to frustrate them, they should he actually assisted by British firms, British cables. British banks and British shipping lines.
 Tt is true that the trade done by British firms with German firms in neutral countries has attained very considerable proportions, and to cut off these trades by means of the stat utOry blacklist meant a certain amount of inevitable loss. Put the government considered that the loss to British trade would be much less than the loss caused to the enemy and besides that. the sacrifice in- volved is necessary in the interests of the allies. It may be pointed out that long before the British statutory blacklist was put in operation, the French government prohibited it's na - tiOnals from doing any business with an enemy subject. It can hardly be contended that the statutory bltck- list is more onerous to trade than the French system, which long since was recognized by international law.
 Moreover, from strictly legal points of view, the blacklist system is q piece of purely domestic legis- lation, which simply prohibits British subjects from dealing with certain persons. The right of any govern mens to impose such prohibition or it's own nationals is hardly open tC dispute.
 "Ohjection has been taken to the unpleasant publicity given the list but without such publicity. far nor, damage would be likely to result {, trade Before the adoption of tho statutory blacklist there was an un- official blacklist in existence. Ey. rerience has shown that uncertair- , on the part of both British tnd neu- tral traders as to who is and who i, not on the blacklist would be more DuD- lication of the blacklist, which en- ables everyone to know exactly wher, he is. It is for this reason that steps are being taken to give the list a. much publicity as possible.
 Complaint is made that the statu. tory list is unnecessary as the sam, results might have been obtainet sub-rosa. But if so done, it would have affected not merely the firms ii the United States which now figur ing in the statutory list, but als, others-probablv all those with Ger man names. whether they deserved i or nOt-because British traders. f. whom alone our prohibition is ad dressed, would not have known in '~~0e~ ~.' 'o rs-ohil,'.~a ';-,. o~, might out of caution. have cease dealing with much larger number
 "ln trade matters nothing inter feres with business so much as m certainty, and it was to avoid thi general interference that the polio of prohibition with the firms iiste was adopted
 "It has been void thot it was hlunder to publish the list vren
 French loan was under way. Cleo ,I, If would have been a blunder 10 in clude the friends of our French al ------------ -