Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-03-01
BOTH BRITISH AND GERMAN BLoCKADEs NOT LAWFUL


merchant ships to Germany Holland and Scandinavian ports
That is far.reaching question: both timely and peril
nent An adequate answer would embrace the whole prob
lem Of neutral commerce rights war naval warfare through
ces dangerous to noncombaant life and statement
w not as w
This question is justified by the latest Developments
American ships through the German blockade but so far as
we know not single attempt has been made for about two
On the contrary we are passvey and supney submitting
the interruption of trade by British with Holland Den
mark and the Scandinavian ports in addition to the absolute
prohibition of all commerce with Germany.
President Wilson is absolutely right in insisting upon our
manys alleged blockade That does not necessarily
than President Rooseves successful threat
waters meant with the Kaiser
We seem to be losing sight of the fact however that on
the British the alleged blockade by
means declared by Great Britain to be nef
That President Wilson safe ground in this
concerning the attempt to make the M =. Sea
Of mines in enforcing is G
den e % the @s Of be
AIDES and civilized warfare on the seas.
Ortolan, we'll established authority long ago, said
IF the goods put neutral vessel have Of themselves
hostile character why should begerent obstruct such
Of goods transported this of freight and
sion do not begerens abuse the principle which permits
principle into which unusty the nde
pendence and essential rights Of friendly naon He adds
taken is virtual confession that wrong has been per-
petrated on the owner 1 Of the goods
countries at and friendly should send provisions
thther either at public expense for the
wheat should send powder balls, rifles this
would be direct encouragement of the and de-
fessed to be friend of both furnished with the
means Of fighting the other and has been done"
contraband unless regarded by the law of nations by
convention between certain parties That mani
testify sound position.
These words were written by the we'll known Yale
thorty international law about third Of century
and have only to this position with the
ton of both Germany and Britain in Selling American wheat
and large list of Of goods and doing with them they see @
bottom of the how far both sides have in
reducing law to scraps of paper and violating
two, While law recognizes the right sd4h Of neu
sn .ae % oo5 TN r
create famine and destroy food for nocombatants sold
"nd saHs %mea
farther than this mere interference with
c P0s v &
which means danger of life itself for all who invade the re-
ished rule that merchant ships by
belligerents in manner to conserve human life
through the have declared be bockaded except
week in the path marked for Americans they will
feet about Germany parts Holland Denmark
and Norway has been mined and neutral ships invading that
Both of these blockades illegal according to long
abshed international law; and the United States govern
ment is justified in defying both Britain and Germany and
standing for freedom Of the AS to legal block
ade Wooey says There is general agreement that it is
unlawful for neutral vessel knowingly to attempt break
lawful blockade whether by issuing from entering the
blockaded place." Whether the Germans and British are
trying to maintain legal blockades in the Of the law of
nations be judged from this definition b. Woosey:
"A valid lawful blockade requires the actual presence
Of sufficient force of the eneys vessels before certain
extent place the coast BY presence intended general
far the elements do not interfere
that the dispersion for time of the bockadng squadron
by not held to amount to it's being broken up
What sufficient force is cannot be determined with logical
rigor may be said to be such force will involve
vesses attempting the blockade in considerable danger
OF being taken"
Both Britain and Germany have manestly unques-
tanaby violated these long established rules in various ways
In the first Place neither begerent is maintaining before
the coast declared bockaded the acua of Ships
to say nothing of Sufficient force"
In the second place. threat of high explosives does
warhips in the accepted of that term ALL If
had to choose in making trip through danger zone
you would choose rather submarine boats than mines be-
cannot protect yourself against the and not
against the other But both plainly contrary to the rules
IF blockade and the laws of nations in warfare.
in the third place while international law seeks guard
non-comaans and especially and children and the