Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-07-25
BLACKLIST GREATEST
POSSIBLE BLUNDERAT
THIS STAGE OF WAR
at London So Char
aCterizeS Action of Great
Britain Against Certain
American Firms
CBy Associated Press.)

Aby Associated FreSs.N
LONDON. July 21.-A neutral diplo-
mat exceptionally we'll informed regard
ing the details of the economic war
which Great Britain is waging on the
central powers declared today to a rep
resentative OF the Associated Press that
he regarded the recent publication by
the British government of the black
list Of certain American firms as the
greatest possible tactical blunder at
this stage. when a French loan is about
10 be fioated in America and important
Russian financial arrangements are
under way there"
1T is a blunder." continued the dip
lomat. because IL is unnecessary. since
for months most of the firms on the
list have been on a sub-rosa blacklist.
At any rate, they were not on the
white list. so the government had COM
plete control over any of their opera
tions which touched British territory -
The financial section of London is
by no means unanimous in approval of
the measure. even those i'm its favor be-
ing dissatisfied with its scope, contend
ing that some omissions from the list
are more significant than inclusions.
One large banking institution on the
list maintains close connection with one
of London's largest banks and at the
request Of the latter sometime ago
made extensive changes in its directo-
rate I'm order to eliminate men OBJ
Jectionable to its London correspondent.
This London bank now wants to know
why IL is prevented from carrying on
its American business through the
blacklisted banks. while American firms
known TO have been actively connect
ed with German loans and other ac-
tivities are still on the white list.
REASON FORA ACTION
Its publication at this time is a
mystery. One possible theory is that
the governments hand was forced by
recalcitrant British firms which may
have declined to give up trading with
firms not on the white list until their
position was mace legally untenable by
the actual PRONUNCIATION of the list. If
the government had desired to warn the
British public. wider publicity would
have been sought. The list was pub
Iished only in the official London Ga
zette. None of the London papers
printed IL.
The possibility of legal retaliation
against the blacklist is a question for
international lawyers, but the posi-
bility of unofficial retaliation are al
most unlimited. At least Pacific coast
firms OF unimpeachable Americans
might make the position of British trad
erS in number OF fertile fields decid-
eddy uncomfortable"
Walter Hines PAGE. the American
ambassador. expressed himself to the
Associated Press today as fully alive to
the possibility of trouble arising from
the publication Of a statutory blacklist
of American firms. He has already APP
preached the foreign office with in
quiries on the subject.
The embassy is collecting all avail
able information for transmission TO
the state department.
BRANCH HOUSES UNEASY.
Great uneasiness exists among Ameri-
can branch houses here whose home
firms have any financial or trading
connection with Germany. but they re-
fuse to discuss the question for pub
LEGATION. fearing the consequences of
any indiscreet utterances.
Attention is called in these circles
to appearance on the South American
list of several firms declared TO be
financed by New York banking institu-
tions which invested heavily in the
Anglo-French loan. Discussing these
assertions. Lord Robert Cecil. minister
of war trade. stated today that it was
quite possible the government had not
placed certain American firms with close
German connections on the list for the
very good reason that they had proved
loan. On the other hand,
he said. IL other friends OF the allies
were suffering through the inclusion of
some Of their connections in the list
the British government was ready to
make necessary amends.
Lord Robert declared that names
might be added 10 the last from time
TO time. while others might be remov-
ed, but that the blacklist as it now
stands represents the American total,
its entities being less than the pub
lished eighty as names Of partners in
firms were repeated. He admitted the
possibility OF making mistakes in COM
pilation OF the list, but stated firmly
that it's publication was much better
than a possible extreme law providing
that no British subject should trade
with the enemy, no matter what his
domicile. enforcement of which doctrine
would entail much greater hardship
upon innocent parties than the present
method.