The Washington times., 1917-09-17
.CABLEEXPOSEMAY-
BRING new RULES
ONWARCENSOR|NG
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
CONTINUED from First Page.)

BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
(Continued from First Page.)
tiors in the United States to obtain
information similar to that obtained
by Great Britain and France through
their own embassies and legations.
This the British suspected, and fire.
quently charged, but no proof was
available at the time. Recent revela-
tiones tend to confirm the suspicion,
but while the American Government
was not 4 party to the war. anything
that was cabled by q neutral legation
in Washington was not an offense
against neutrality, but against the
entente, who, however, had the power
, and authority to stop such messages
when they passed through England
and France.
Defended Censorship.
In fact, the State Department
stoutly maintained in Its defense OF
the censorship of wireless that q
neutral was obliged TO supervise com
munication that went direct from
neutral territory TO belligerent ships
at sea, while the sending of military
messages by cable directly from the
United States to another country with
Which II was ~ pN1SN ANAPOoCN nv
obligation upon the neutral but upon
the offended belligerent who could
cut such cables at sea outside the
three-mile limit
Great BritaIn's naval superiority
has enabled her to cut the German
cables and to repair promptly any
severance OF British cables that an
occasional German raider might ef-
feet. Indeed, France today Is using
one OF the original German cables,
having commandeered II just as she
would an enemy merchant ship or
other enemy property on the high
seas. The right to use the American
end of that cable could not be OBJ
taIned, OF course. while the United
States was neutral, but within the
last few weeks arrangements were
completed whereby President Wilson,
through the act of Congress Yesting
him with authority over the use OF
cables, granted the French govern
ment permission to join the United
States and France by means Of the
German cable. This gives an extra
the cables between America and
France having become seriously con-
gested since the Pershing expedition
went abroad.
Ruling ConslderatiOns.
Naval superiority and military ne
cessity. therefore, are the ruling con-
siderations today. but IL is not always
wise to exercise them. Great Britain,
for instance, is holding up cipher ca
Diagrams between Sweden and Amer
lea until the negotiations OF the Brit
ish foreign office relating to recent
revelations can be adjusted in a man
ner that will give the entente no FUR
ther cause to worry. The Swedish le-
CATION here continues to get plain Ian
guage messages from the Stockholm
foreign office, but the number system
indicates that other messages have
been sent from Sweden during the
past week which have not been allow
ed to reach Washington.
The American Government has not
participated In any way In the deten-
ton OF messages, the entente powers
merely exercising a belligerent right
But should Great Britain continue in
definitely to assert her right, she
would find Sweden ready to retaliate
by refusing to allow cipher messages
to pass over her own territory to Rus
STA. With conditions as chaotic as
they are today in Russia, the entente
would not like to have cable COM
munication with Petrograd interrupt
ed or delayed. There Is another way
to reach the Russian capital, via
Japan and Siberia. but II Is slow and
uncertain, and nowadaSs Internal re-
volts and mutinies make telegraphlc
communication between Vladivostok
and Petrograd subject to frequent
stoppage on account OF cut wires and
burned poles.
To BE Handled DeIIcateIy.
Sweden, therefore, Is to be handled
delicately by the entente. because the
Stockholm government has not heSitated
in the past to infIct reprisals. as her de-
tentIon Of mall for Russia early In the
war amply proves. Matters are quite
likely TO be adjusted. however, In a
matter friendly to the entente because OF
the political changes expected In Stock
holm and the natural readiness OF swed-
ish statesmen to counteract the bad I'M
preston which the recent expose pro-
iuoed on the outside world
When the rules are drawn in future
international conferences to govern
the use Of cables during war time, 1t
is predicted here that neutral lcga-
tions in belliEerent countries will
not be allowed to send either diplo-
matte pouches or cipher messages
without ironclad guarantees from the
foreign office as to the trustworthi-
ness and reliability OF each Of their
diplomatic representatives through
out the world. II would not be sur
prising 81 claims for heavy damages
would be permitted to lie in the event
that pledges or rules were broken
and belligcrent interests were proved
-AanaRsd>