Evening star., 1917-03-06
Neutral Rights Violated.

r
the safeguarding of the interests of
neutralS.
Neutral Rights Violated.
| Neutrals were not to enjoy these
benefits for long. Hardly had the Unit
/ ed Kingdom decided to participate in
the war when, almost at once. it began
| to break down the barriers which the
principles of International law had en-
acted While the central powers in the
very beginning of the war. had de-
clared that they would observe the
declaration of London. which also bore
| the signature of the British representa-
tive. Great Britain threw overheard
some of its important provisions. In an
| endeavor to cut off the central powers
from supplies from overseas, she en-
| larged. step by step, the list of contra
! bt nd until nothing was missing in the
| list of things which today men want
| for their subsistence.
/ Then Great Britain proclaimed what
she called blockade of the coasts Of
the North sea, which form also an i'm
portant commerce route for Austro-
Hungarians. in order to prevent goods
which were still missing in the list Of
| contraband from entering Germany
and in order to prevent all sea traffic
tby neutrals to those coasts, as well as
lall exports through neutrals That this
blockade was in fragrant contradic-
ton to the customary principles of the
right of block ade, as established by
international agreements, was explicit
| ly declared by the President of the
United States of America in words
which will continue to live in the his
tory Of international law.
by the illegal prevention of exports
! from the central powers Great Britain
aimed at paralyzing the countless fac
tories and works which the industrial
ap h icrh h1xy of
trail Europe had created and. by fore
, ing workmen to be idle, to incite them
, to rebellion.
| when Austria -Hungary's southern
neighbor Joined the enemies of the CEN
| trail 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 a short time be-
| fore. Austria Hungary did not neglect
to inform neutral powers at once that
the blockade was not legal
Reprisals Long Delayed.
For more than two years the central
powers hesitated. Only then and after
| long and careful consideration of pros
and cons did they begin to return like
for like and attacked the enemy on
the sea. AS the only ones of the bel
ligerents who had done everything to
| secure the existing treaties which were
| to guarantee to neutrals the freedom of
the seas they felt with panied hearts
the law of the hour which commanded
| them to violate this freedom But they
took this step to fulfill the paramount
duty toward their peoples and from the
conviction that it would help the prin
ciple of the freedom of the seas to be
victorious The proclamations which
they issued last January are apparently
directed only against the rights of neu-
| trails. In reality they serve toward the
restoration of these rights, which their
enemies have incessantly violated 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 on
when the flags of all states in the glory
, of their newly won freedom can freely
| fly over the seas.
| I'VE cherish the hope that this an
nouncement will find an echo every
where where neutral peoples live and
that it will especially be understood by
! the great people of the United States
whose most illustrious representative
has during the war defended with fam
ing words the freedom of the seas as
| the highway of all nations.
Distinction in Blockades.
"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 starvation. but aims
at subjecting the seas to her rule In
order to establish in this manner her
| tyranny over all nations, while on the
| other hand the blockade of England
and her allies only. serves to make
| these powers incline toward peace
with honor and guarantee to all ma
| tions of the freedom OF sea TRAFFIC and
sea commerce and tnereDy a secured ex
| istence, then the question which of
the two parties has the right on its
| side is already decided. Though the
central powers have no desire in this
! war to beg for allies, tney yet believe
| that they will be entitled to look to
neutrals to appreciate tn1ir I +t enorts TO
| pIes of International law and equal
| rights of nations
.In replying now to the question put
| in the American note of February IS,
the Austro- Hungarian government nrst.
notes referring to the cases of the
| Ancona and the Persia it restricted
| itself to defining it's attitude to con-
crete Questions which individually
arose without laying down it's funda-
mental legal conception. But in its
note of October ~ Isss, sssrvsd reieig ta it 70
the ripht to bring up for discussion
| at a later date difficult international
ouestions which arise in connection
with submarine warfare. II 1t now
refers to this reservation and now
| ing enemy vessels. to which that note
refers II is guided by the desire to