The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-05-12
WASHINGTON WILL ASK
 GERMANY HOW SUSSEX
 ATTACK WAS PUNISHED
Ambassador Gerard to Be Required Request Court That Dealt With Case of Submarine Commander
 Kaiser In China-Protes Britain Likely

which to aid the wounded and suffer ing of all the belligerents. We have shipped to the Red cross societies of each belligerent hospital supplies con- tr1buted to use for that purpose.
 We have found no difficulty in sending such articles to the Entente allies. We have had to obtain per- naits from Great Britain for the ship ments to the Red Cross of the central powers. Until September, 1915, there was substantially no delay in the granting of these permits by Great Britain. Since that time we have had much difficulty in securing them, and the supplies donated in kind and designated. for the use of the cen traI powers have accumulated in. our warehouses in Brooklyn. A permit was granted for only one shipment since that time-in January of this year.
 Through. your department we are now in receipt z of a. communication from the British government an nouncing that it does not intend to permit any further shipment, unless lit is a. shipment to our own hospital units, in territory of the central pow CTS. This exception amounts to no concession, for the reason that, as the British government was advised in August last, after Oct. 1, for lack of funds, we were able to maintain no
  countries.
 The authorities of the American Red Cross believe that under the Geneva, convention, to which the United States and all the belligerent powers are sig natories, the United States has the treaty right to insist that articles serving exclusively to aid the sick and wounded in the form of hospital sup plies, shipped by the American Red Cross to the Red Cross of the central
 
 band but shall be allowed safe con duct to their destination.
 -'The reasons for this view of the obligation of Great Britain under the Geneva Convention of 1906 were set forth in a communication. by the un- dersig gned to His Excellency, the Brit ish Ambassador, under date of Dec 30, 1915, and a copy of this was transmitted to your department We are now in receipt of 8 connunicati ton from your department, inclosing despatch from the British govern ment. in which it definitely. with draws it's consent for the shipment of such articles by the American Red Cross, and thus in effect announces its pur-l pose to treat them as contraband of war.
 .'The reason as given by the Brit ish government for this conclusion Tn the despatch of March 22 is that
  treatment as oontraband of war arr ticles serving exclusively to aid the sick and wounded, and coming with in the description contained m ar ticIe 29 of the Declaration of Londons and had expressed that willingness to the Spanish An hbassador with a view to it's comm unication to the central powers nine months had passed since that communication and no definite communication had been received from the German. Austrian or Turk fsh, government on the subject of these lists.
 sIn view of the fact that the Ger man government did consent to a re- cinrocaI course on. Oct. 15, 1915, in. respect to article 29, and that fact was communicated to the British For91gn Ohice, as we are advised by the Brit. ish Ambassador at Washington, we venture to hope that the conclusion of the British government was based on a, rnisconception. and that when the matter is called to it's attention change in this policy may be had.