The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1917-03-09
1rykow, Two Illegal
BIockades Would Not
Make q Legal Blockade

w., cOupafcu W oui mot ~''N'
from Berlin bearing on submarine opera
lions. is, nevertheless, brief filed by
Vienna in behalf of Germany.
Austria processes. as German people
generally ard rome Americans profess an
inability TO understand why President
Wilson does not object just as strenuous
" to the British blockade Of Germany as
he has objected TO Germany's submarine
area
The idea is, in the first place that /:
Il we're the case that Great Britain 5
blockade were ILLEGAL, which 1t is not
the fact would not make the German
submarine area LEGAL.
Germany's presumptuousness in telling
the neutral world where 1t may send It's
ships and where it may not send It's
ships. in the face of established and &C
cupted law defining their right to sail
their ships where Germany says they
mnst not, In pain of having them sunk
without warning, is reprehensible, and
The condemnation that has been brought
aowu upon the German government by
The entire neutral world is more than
Justified
President Wilson was everlastingly
sixht in severing diplomatic relations
With nation whose heads served notice
that II was about to become an outlaw.
10 understand the administration po-
altion II il first necessary to keep clearly
- mind the fact that this government
has never objected to the principle OF
h0oclade In itself.
no one in authority in the United
0tetss questions for one moment the
Rat Of Germany to blockade England,
hit the proclamation of blockade IN
wolves certain obligations on the part
e the blockading power.
The blockading power must exercise
- right Of visit and search.
Il must examine the cargo carried by
u vessels stopped In the blockade zone,
m II adjudged contraband by the naval
auth0fties in charge Of the blockade, the
- must be taken into port and the
go pannod upon by prize court
Doloeo firing upon q blockade runner
- rule d civilized nations provides that
~ hlcc1nding warship must first FIRE a
- across the bow of the merchantmen
= : signal to stop.
unless the vessel resists or attempts
1irht, every provision must be made Tor
~ safety Of her crew.
II the ship attempts to escape, those
q board her forfeit their right to pro-
toc1{ou. IS has been uniformly held by
~ United States government in cases
vhere Americans have been killed on
kcord ships attempting to escape from
German submarines which had first sig
nollod them TO stop.
England has seized American ships
"A taken them to port for adjudica'
tiou by prize courts. Many of their car
49, have been seized and condemned
Sftw due process of law, the British
ruvssnment in most cases paying ful
value for the cargo seized.
Germany has boarded American ships
a the high seas and sunk them with
cut adjudication, on the spot, leaving the
crew to shift for themselves in small
boats.
England has seized American mails
and after examination has allowed tc
pass such matter as proved to be limo
cent.
Germany has torpedoed the Laconia
carrying 5000 sacks of American mai
which was, of course, entirely de
stroyed.
Germany, OF her ally, Austria, has
dropped bombs on the deck of a peace.
ful ship without warning.
England has done nothing of the sort
Most important of all Germany has
repeatedly fired upon passenger ships
without warning. killing and injurinl
Americans on board.
England has not done this.
All of the blockade measures which
England has enforced against the Unitec
States, including the famous blacklist
were enforced against England by th'
United States during the blockade of thl
Ga -. .fcIo,.act~