The Detroit times., 1916-01-28
NEUTRALS
TO RESIST
ENTENTE
,Continued FROM Page onel

States viii be exempted from mo
.estation
Secretary OF State Lansing said
,his government Will wait reason
able time for The promised note
from England on The mail question
before proceeding further.
Secretary lansing last night made
public the note OF protest sent 90
Britain The note reveals that the
tampering has been much more ex-
tensive than was generally known.
Great Bntains ad interim reply.
in which she promises 20 consider
the matter In conjunction with her
allies. was also made public
The text is as follows
Department advised that British
customs authorities removed from
Danish steamer Oskar II. I2t bar
parcel mail on route from United
States 90 Norway. sweden and Den
have removed from Swedish steamer
stockholm - bags parcel mail on
route Gothenhurg sweden, 20 New
York. that 5000 packages of Wer-
cnandls', American property. have
Uceu scized by British authorities ON
the Danish steamer United states uu
her last trip 10 the United states.
that Customs authorities az kirkwsll.
Dec is seized faT bags Of parcel
mail from steamer Frederick VII.
manifested Tor Norway. sweden aud
Denmark. other similar raHes might
800 mentioned. such as that OF the
1 steamer HelEulav
department inclined 20 regard
parcel post articles as subject 70
R8mc treatment as articles sent af
sypress or freight In respect by bel
NEereut search. seizure and condcm.
nation un ih" other hand, parcel
post articles are eutttted 60 the usual
exemptions - neutral trade ard the
protest. 90 tho government OF the
United states q regard 90 what con
sflfufc- the unlawful bringing IN OF
ships for search iu port "a" iIleEAllty
of so-callsd blockade by Great Britain.
and the Improper assumption OF iUrts-
digToU % vessels and cargoes, apply
90 commerce using parcel post ser
vice fgr tEc transmission OF commo-
dities Please briug this matter ~
parcel post formally TO the attention
of the British government
"The department. ta further IN
formed that poc. "a The entire mails,
including seaI"0 malls and presum-
ably the American diplomatic ana
states 10 the Netherlands, were re
moved hy British authorities from
the Dutch steamer NcW Amsterdam'
that Dec 20 m" pUtrh vessel MOOT
der br Eo was deprived az The Doens
Of American mail from the United
states 90 Rotterdam. and that these
malls are sfill held hy British au-
tnorlfios other similar Instances
could hr mentioned. as the cases of
The E'edmnrs Rotterdam and Moor
dam
The Houarfueut cannot admit the
right ~ British authorities 10 seize
neutral vessels plying directly be
tween America aUc neutral European
ports without touehhE ., nf fllsn
porte fu bring them INTO port. ana
while there 90 remove or censor
uaIla carried hy them
Modern practice generally recoE-
n.y"s that mails are not to De CEN
H1rsa. ronhr'atca or dtstt'}ep -"
high sens even when carried by bel
uEareut mail ships To attain sAmo
end hv bringing such mail SHIPS
within British Jurisdiction for pur-
poses or search and then sublcCtlng
them 20 local regulations allowing
erusUrluE % maile cannot te lustued
pu Tho ground of nHdoual lurisdtcs
"iu tho cases where neutral mail
ships merely touch 90 british p"ttA.
British authorities have no interna.
uSuHI right 20 remove the sealed
mails or 90 censor them on snip.
M4fIs on such ships never righttully
come into the custody OF the British
mail service and that service ~ en-
tlrely without respou7ihility Tor their
transit or 'afety
As "A result of British action,
strong feeling Ia being aroused IN
tbis country because Of NE loss ~
valuable letter., money orders. ana
drafts and foreign hanks are refus-
fnE 90 cash American drafts, owing
10 the absence 90 any security that
tho drafts VIII travel safely in the
malls Moreover, the detention of
Diplomatic and consular mail ~ an
agEravatiuR circumstance IN prRc-
tee which To- generally regarded In
this country as vcNatlouslN tnquiai-
toriaI and without compcnsating
military advantage 10 breat Britain.
Please lay this matter immediate
lv before tho British government IN
n f0rmad and vigorous protest and
press for a dlsCOntinuance OF these
unWarrauted interference win in
vioiaulo malls impress upon ~lr Ed-
ward Grey the necessity Tor prompt
action in this matter,
grent prftnin'H ad interim reply
delivered 90 Ambassador Page. Jan.
81 and aligned by sir Edward Grey,
tho foreign minister. follows
'"rhe communication that your eN-
coiIencv was good enough TO make
the tenth inst, regarding the seizure
of malls from neutral vessels. raised
important questions of principle IN
regard 10 matters that arc deter
md acted on by the Allied govern
menfs Its maIestys government ~
therefore compelled 10 communicate
with It's Allies before it can send
replv TO your memorandum This
I government o. conaultiur with tho
French government In the hrrt In
stance and 7 hope 90 Doe in position
tbrforc long 70 state the result Of tho
consuita tion.'