Evening star., 1939-09-10
Contraband Disputes
Unlikely as Britain
Adopts U. 5. List
Everything Of Possible
Use to German
Army Is Included
By the Associated Press.

AMY - suSiuuSo
By the Associated Press.
The question of contraband. what
It is and what it isn't, which raised
50 many controversies for the
American Government during the
World War. seems likely to cause
little trouble in the present Euro
pean conflict.
Contraband means product use
full in war which belligerent-say,
Britain-could take from a ship
say, Americana destined to an
other belligerent-say, Germany.
The British government already
has presented this Government with
a list of what-for the moment-it
will regard as contraband. 1t en-
braces everything likely to prove
useful to the German Army, Navy
and air force. 1t has been received
here without murmur Why? Be-
cause it is, almost word for word
the very list the United States it.
self issued when it became bel
Igerent in 1917!
In the World War the British
gradually extended it. The extern
sion was accompanied by regrets,
protests and reservations of rights
on the part of the United States.
Acting Secretary of State Lam
sing told the British the month
after the war opened that the
United States always had insisted
that foodstuffs were legitimate ar
ticles of commerce, and that mere
destination to an enemy port did
not justify their seizure or confis-
cation.
Controversy Over Cotton.
There was diplomatic exchange
between the two countries on the
subject of making cotton contra
band, but the State Department did
not protest.
When, however, the British added
turpentine and resin, Secretary of
State Bryan told them he received
this information with profound
regret"
The next year, when Britain an
nounced she intended to treat alike
absolute contraband (war materials
and conditional contraband (prod-
ucts that might be useful, like food
stuffs), Mr.. Lansing notified the
British government of the reserva-
ton of all rights of the United
States in regard to any American
interests which might be injured by
this action or by the illegal extern
sion of the contraband lists during
the present war by Great Britain or
her allies"
But when the United States itself
became a belligerent, things looked
different. The Government on June
80, 1917. issued contraband list
which could be easily mistaken for
the one Great Britain issued the
other day. 1t, too, was all-em-
brasive.
Two years before. Secretary Bryan
had told the Senate Foreign Rela-
tions Committee the record of the
United States itself with regard to
contraband was not free from criti-
cism. When neutral, he said, it
had stood for a restricted list" of
absolute and conditional contra
band. AS a belligerent, the United
States had sought a liberal list, ac-
cording to its conception of the
necessities of the case"
Five Categories in List.
Now we have the present British
eontraband list containing five
categories, as did the American list
of 1917. The British list starts out
with the words: "All kinds of
arms, ammunition, explosives, chem
icals or appliances suitable for use
in chemical warfare, and machines
for their manufacture and repair,
component parts thereof, articles
necessary or convenient for their
use" The American list started out
with: "All kinds of arms, guns, am
munition, explosives and machines
for their manufacture and repair;
component parts thereof; materials
or ingredients used in their manu-
facture; articles necessary for their
use"
The categories of each of the two
lists follow the same order. With
the exception of a few words, cate
gories "B," declaring contraband all
devices for transportation, and &c, y
all devices for communication, might
have been lifted from the American
list. Category ID" listing coin, bull
lion, currency, ETC., is exactly the
same right down to the commas.
Over category "E" food and cloth
ing), however, the British, although
employing practically the same
wording as the American list, have
placed the heading conditional
contraband." This means an Ameri-
can ship could carry such articles
to Germany, If it were proven that
they we're not destined to the armed
forces. But the British have an easy
"out," because Germany's economy
Is government controlled and Ger
man imports pass through the hands
of the government. When such is the
case, the argument behind conditi-
onal contraband, that it is destined
to the civilian population. falls
down. officials expect little, if any
argument on this point.
Taken all in all, the issue of con-
traband will not force Secretary OF
State Hull to tear his silver hair as
1t caused William Jennings Bryan
and Robert Lansing to rend their
respective locks.