New Britain herald., 1917-03-06

Britain aimed at para1yzing the count- less factories and works which the industrial and highly developed peoples of Central Europe had created and, by forcing workmen to be idle, to incite them to rebellion.
 Role Played by Italy.
 When Austria Hungary southern neighbor joined the enemies of the Central powers his first act was to declare as blockaded all coasts of the enemy. following of course the example of his allies in ignoring all the legal rights in the creation of which Italy had taken an active part g short time before. Austria-H Hun gary did not neglect to inform neu- tral powers at once that the blockade was not legal.
 For more than two years the Central powers hesitated. Only then. after long and careful consideration of pros and cons. did they begin to return like for like and attacked the enemy on sea- As the only, ones of belligerents that had done everything to secure the exiscting treaties which were to guarantee to the neutrals the freedom of the seas. they felt with pained hearts the law of the hour which commanded them to violate this freedom
 To Enforce Freedom of the Sea.
 .'But they took this step to fulnIl the paramount duty toward their peoples and from the knowledge that it would help their people through the freedom Of the seas to be victorious. The proclamations which they issued last January are apparently directed only against the rights of neutrals. In reality they serve towards the restoration of these rights. which their enemies have necessarily violat- ed and which, if they were victors. they would destroy forever. Thus the submarines which are cruising around the English coast announce to peoples who need the sea--and what people does not want coasts ?-that the day is not far off when the flags of all states in the glory of their newly won freedom, can freely fly over the sea.
 We cherish the hope that this announcement will find an echo everywhere where neutral peoples live and that it will especially, be under
 
 United States, whose most illustrious has. during the war. defended with flaming words the free-t dom of the seas as the highway of all nations. 5
 If the people and government of the United States keep in mind that the blockade proclaimed by Great Britain is not only meant to wear down the Central powers by starva- tion but aims at subjecting the seas to her rule, in order to establish in this manner her tyranny over all na- tions, while on the other hand the blockade of England and her allies only serves to make these powers in- cline towards peace with honor and a guarantee to all nations of the free dom of sea traffic and sea commerce and thereby secured existence, then the question, which of the two parties has the right on it's side. is already decided. Though the Central powers have no desire in this war to beg for allies, they yet believe that they will be entitled to look to neutrals to their efforts to revive in the interest of all, the principles of international law and equal rights of 
 The Reservation.
 ''1n replying now to the question put in the American note of Feb. IS, the Austro-Hungarian government re- marks that in the exchange of notes referring to the cases of the Ancona and the Persia it restricted itself to defining it's attitude to concrete ques- tions which individually arose, with out lying down it's fundamental legal conception. But in it's note of Oct. 19. 1915, referring to the Ancona case, it reserved to itself the right to bring up for discussion at a later date difficult international questions which are in connection with subma- rine warfare. If it now refers to this reservation and now briefly dis cusses the question of sinking enemy vessels, to which that note refers, it is guided by the desire to show the American government that it now. as heretofore, strictly adheres to the assurance already given and en- deavors by clearing mp that fmpor- tant question arising from submarine warfare because it touches the laws
 (Continued On Sixth Page).