The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-05-13
BRITISH PROMISE TO RED CROSS IS
 ABODE OF JOKER
Condition in Agreement Con tradicts Concession To
 American Society. te..

London, May 13.-In regard to pro- tests from American sources against the British embargo on shipment of medical supplies to the central powers. Which caused the American Red Cross to request relief societies to collect no further supplies for Germany and Austria, Sir Maurice de Bursen, for mer British am 1bassador at Vienna and now attached to the foreign office, made the following statement yester- day:
 ''The position of the British govern meht in this matter is quite clear. They are prepared to allow the des- patch of medical supplies to any American Red Cross units which may be working for the central powers up- on receipt of assurances as to their employment. They are not, however, prepared to allow medical supplies to be generally imported by the enemy.
 ''It is worth while considering what 8, general permit to import these sup plies would mean. It is clear, in the first place, that it would not apply only to supplies from America. The enemy would be able to draw their supplies in large quantities from all parts of the world. They would be free from all necessity of using from their existing supplies such articles as rubber for medical purposes. and they would be able to devote them exclu- sively for war1ike ends.
 'tIt is interesting to recall that the German Rubber Journal of Sept. 1. 1915, stated that an adequate, supply of rubber for the medical needs of the German army had been assured by recent measures. In view of this one cannot but regard with a certain amount of scepticism stories ctrculat- ed by the enemy of nurses who died for want of rubber gloves.
 sIt is instructive to consider the record of the Germans themselves in these matters. In the Franco-Prus- sian War they did not allow medical supplies to enter Paris, and in the present war they prohibited the ex- port of German medical books be- cause they openly profess to grudge other countries the benefits of Ger man scientific skill. They, more over, have given no indication that they would allow medical supplies to be imported into Great Britain.
 EsOf the legal right of the allies to intercept medical supplies there can be no doubt. Medical supplies never have been regarded in previous wars as entitled to preferential treatment. Thus in the Apnerican Civil War all medical supplies, including quinine and anaesthetics, were prevented from reaching the Confederate states.
 'tIt is urged by the Germans, how ever, that under article 29 of the Dec laration of London, articles serving exclusively to aid the sick or wound ed may not be treated as contraband of war Leaving aside the question whether the Declaration of London applies to the question at issue, it should be pointed out that there are in any case very few articles which can be used exclusively to aid the sick or wounded. The allied governm ents have been obliged to insist that arti- cle 29 of the Declaration of London can in the present circumstances be held to apply only to Red Cross sup plies which are despatched by a neu- traI nation to a properly organized Red Cross unit under full control of that nation.''