Evening star., 1939-10-01
United States Firms
Are Missing From
British Blacklist
Shadow of Threat to
/ Trade Much Lighter
Thon It Was in 1916
- the Associated Press,

~ the Associated Press.
Like the restless shadow from an
unhappy past. British blacklist"
has again risen to the attention of
the American Government-but this
time without waiting two years, As
1t did in the World War.
Advance indications are, how
ever, that the shadow will be laid
to rest without the same painful
litigation that marked the British
blacklist Of 1916.
The blacklist" is . compilation
BY the British government of for
eign firms with which British con-
Germs must not trade because of
their presumptive connection. or
dealings with Germany. There also
is an intimation that neutral firms
expecting to do business with Brit
ain should have nothing to do with
the blacklisted concerns.
Hot Note Recalled.
The lack Of present uneasiness
In official quarters here is owing
to several factors. One is that no
American firms are blacklisted, as
was the case in 1916, when Acting
Secretary Of State Polk sent
Britain "hot note" saying:
THE announcement that his Bri-
tannic majesty's government has
placed the names Of certain per-
sons, firms and corporations in the
United States upon a proscriptive
blacklist and has forbidden all
financial or commercial dealings be-
tween them and citizens of Great
Britain has been received with the
most painful surprise by the peo-
pie and the Government Of the
United States and seems to the Gov
eminent Of the United States to
embody policy of arbitrary In
reference with neutral trade against
which it is its duty to protest in
the most decided terms"
A Complication Avoided.
The omission of American names
ON the list also avoids a compli-
cation that arose in the World War,
when the State Department point
ed out to Britain:
"1t appears that British officials
regard the prohibitions Of the black
list as applicable to domestic COM
mercial transactions in foreign coun-
tries as we'll as in Great Britain
and her dependencies, for Amer
leans doing business in foreign coun-
tries are to be regarded as subject
to veto by the British government.
BY the same principle, Americans
in the United States might be made
subject to similar punitive action if
they were found dealing with any
OF their own countrymen whose
names had thus been listed"
In other words, If there were
American firms named on the pres
ent blacklist, other American COM
panies doing business with Great
Britain could not deal with them,
and Britain, In effect, would be die
tating commercial relations within
the United States itself.
There is, of course, a big difier-
ence IN outlook between the Roose-
velt and the Wilson administra-
tons, because the Roosevelt admin
tstration Is willing to place certain
curbs on the exercise of American
ueutral rights, aS indicated by its
championship Of . neutrality bill
containing such restrictions.
1915 Stand Was Broad.
But In 1915 the State Department
protested: THE Government Of the
United States begs to remind the
government of his Britannia majesty
that citizens of the United States
are entirely within their rights in
attempting to trade with the people
or the governments of any Of the
nations now at war. subject only to
well-defined international practices
and understandings which the Gov
eminent Of the United States deems
the government Of Great Britain to
have too lightly and too frequently
disregarded."
Another factor that will tend to
choke of any governmental wrath
here Is the fact the United States
itself, when 4 belligerent in 1918,
issued . blacklist containing the
names Of no fewer than 5000 foreign
f1rms. The list corresponded to
those issued by Britain and France.
More than 100 Arms on the Brit
ash blacklist of 1899 are located in
Latin America. This location is
about the only fact likely to arouse
any apprehension here. Various ef-
forts are now In the making to in
crease United States trade with
Latin America and any restriction
which stands In the way thereof will
not be welcome to oflcials here.
But the present Neutrality Act
prohibits shipment of war goods any,
where for transshipment to 4 bel
liserent, 20 trading in war goods
with the blacklisted firms for trans
shipment to Germany already Is
prohibited.