Evening star., 1926-04-25
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

America will call upon Grea t
Britain to arhitrate before some
proper tribunal the claims of Amer
lean citizens growing out of seizure
of ships and cargoes by the British
navy prior to our entry into the
World War. These are the claims
suddenly brought to public atten-
ton here and in Great Britain In
March by Senator Borah. chairman
OF the foreign relations committee OF
the Senate On their face value the
claims represent volume OF $2OV,-
600 900 or $500. 5000 But before
they reach the arbitral stage the
total will be materially cut down by
elimination of claims that are paipa :
bly, without justification. This Is
the normal result on most occasions
of international claims.
Senator BOrah's Statement.
Senator Borah. in a special inter
view with this writer, declares that
apparently wholly erroneous I'M
preston has taken root in London
with regard to his motive in trump
ing up Incidents supposed, since the
war. to have vanished into the limbo
of the. forgotten. II don't care.
saws Borah. whether we collect
anything but 10 cents on these
claims. That is not the point at
issue. What | do care about Is the
establishment of principle In IN
ternatfonal law. That principle is
the definite fixing of neutral
rights at sea in case of another
world conflict in which the United
{nXn1NAd
II am not setting up any new con-
tention, The contention for which
hone our Government will demand
unqualified recognition was uttered
time and again both by President
Wilson and Secretary Lansing In the
wears between the outbreak of the
war and the period of our entering 1t
as a. belligerent. If the contentious
our Government set up in 1915 and
1916 were right then. they are right
now If our nationals were deprived
of their rights at that time, and their
lust claims have never been graft
fed, 1t is not too late to seek restitu-
ton today.
Cites Rights i'm World Law.
But whether restitution is secured,
| in dollars or cents, does not count so
much in my estimation as restitution
of our inalienable rights in world law.
| The British contended~at the time,
and for all know are still contend
! ing. that they did nothing with their
blockade that the United States
Government did not do with regard
| to the Confederacy during the Civil
| War. The United States, I think,
f! has at no time conceded the validity
| of such a contention by the British.
| We have claimed, if / am rightly in
! formed, that no cargoes were shipped
| by America during the period in ques-
! ton that property came within the
British navy's right to seize contra
| band Nor do we recognize that the
so-called doctrine of the continuous
voyage was violated by any ship
ments made by our nationals during
the days of our neutrality"
Kellogg Does Not Dispute Premise.
Secretary Kellogg, it is authorita
tively understood, does not dispute the
premise upon which Senator Borah
stands. 1t is acknowledged at the State
Department that, in the emergency OF
another international conflict, Ameri
can shipping-in the event of our neu
trality-might not enjoy adequate pro
lection on the high seas if the condi
tions under which the British exer
cised right of seizure in 1914, 1915 and
! 1916 were to stand as unchallenged.
| The British press and public in
dulged in some bitter expressions when
Senator Borah's action became known
a month ago and gave the impression
that it had taken Great Britain by
| surprise. AS a matter of fact, the
British government for long time