The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-02-05
Other Measures Short of War.

to 1906, after the murder of King Alex
ander and Queen Draga.
Other Measures Short of War.
After the breaking of diplomatic re,
lations comes the possibility of other
measures 'nonamicable modes of re.
dress" which also the measures short
| of war" These modes of redress may
include reprisals, oscillations, nonnter-
course and display of force, and still
there may be no state of war. There
lare precedents of various sort and range
for such action
In 1870 Congress authorized President
Grant to suspend transit of goods to
Canada in bond and as an extreme meas.
ure to prohibit Canadian vessels in
American waters because of the atti-
tude of the Canadian government to-
ward American fishermen. An embargo
on ships or exports is legitimate Con-
gress imposed such embargoes in the
years preceding the war of 1912 on trade
with both England and France. As a
rule those were pacific embargoes and
prevented American ships from carrying
goods to the embargoed countries Great
Britain in 1903, however, laid a hostile
embargo on Dutch vessels in British
ports.
Nonintercourse acts can be passed by
Congress to stop commerce between the
United States and Germany, but as the
war already has put the trade at low
ebb the effort viii be negligible. Such
acts were passed against Great Britain
a Ern, Aof,
Displays of force have been frequent
ly used by the United States and Eu
ropean powers 90 impress the earnest
ness of their position Writers on inter-
law class the allied march to
the relief of the legations at Pekin as
a display of force short of war.
War Usually Begins Before Declaration.
When all the measures short of war
have been exhausted or either nation
decides to dispense with them, comes
the eyentuality-w itself. More than
100 times since 100 war has begun be. |
fore it was formally declared. Only II
times in the PIG years has war actually |
been declared before hostilities began.
The latest notable instance was the |
opening action of the Russo-Japanese |
war, when Admiral Togo struck Rus
sian fleet. Russia complained of a sur |
Prise attack, but Japan pointed out size /
rad notified Russia she was breaking off I
diplomatic relations and reserved the
light to take such independent actions
Is might be decided best"
The Hague convention of 1907 took I
iotice of the situation and adopted an
lrticle making it mandate for ma
ion to declare war before beginning of
lostilities, Germany and the United
,tates, with other nations, agreed to it,
md also agreed that neutral powers
must be notified of the state OF war
Without delay.
1t provided, however. that there might
,e an ultimatum with conditional de-
Iaring of war. The Hague conventions
nd the fabric of international law gem
rally have been so torn during the pres
mt war, however, that no diplomat ven
ures to say how far any nation may be
expected to regard itself as bound by
he provisions. 1t might be said that
lmost anything is within range of pos
Utilities. Tn general practice declara-
ion of war has come to be regarded
1ore as call to arms than as notl-
cation to prospective enemy.
With the beginning Of war the status
citizens, treaties, consuls, mails, COM
lerce and property undergoes change,
mich varies in different degrees from
hat prevailing under break of diplo-
latic relations.