Evening star., 1940-02-15
Shipping
Continued From First Page }

sells, apparently has prompted Brit
ish moves to settle the controversy.
Meanwhile, Senator Glass, DEM
ocrat, OF Virginia, declared today
that this country's neutrality law
has encouraged Hitler to make
the threat" that American vessels
passing through British contraband
controls were fair game for German
submarines.
The Senator said In an interview: !:
Il think we ought to operate un-
der international law instead OF
the Neutrality Act, which / think
has been encouraging Hitler to
make the threat against Ameri-
can shipping.
Under international law any ma
ton at war has the right of search
and seizure for the purpose of dis
covering whether cargoes contain
contraband. The United States it.
self asserted this right when It
entered the World War, and the al
lied nations are within their rights
under international law to make
searches and seizures of ships
transporting contraband."
Hits Restrictions.
Senator Glass voted for the Neu-
trality Act because, he said, he
wanted to eliminate the former
arms embargo. He sharply criti-
cized provisions placing restric-
tons on American commerce with
belligerents, however.
The British offer of convoy pro-
lection for neutral shipping was not
considered officially here, but un-
ohcially 1t was pointed out that
such scheme was entirely out of
line with American policy. At the
start Of the European war, President
Roosevelt made 1t clear that Ameri-
can vessels were considered safer
without even convoy of their own.
Britain views the German claim
OF the right to sink any neutral ship
even though proceeding between
neutral ports If 1t goes through the
Allied contraband control as "a
boast Of the illegal policy of sea
warfare which Germany already is
pursuing" the Associated Press
quoted British spokesman In Lon
don as asserting.
Britain Not Surprised.
This spokesman said the British
view Is that it is unlawful to sink
such q merchant vessel at any time,
Britain Is not surprised by the Ber-
LIN announcements, he said, since
we have known that the Germans
have been sinking the merchant
ships OF neutrals indiscriminately
without either regard for the lives
OF the men aboard or destination"
The only new angle" the British
spokesman asserted, lis that thev
now are boasting of doing so.
The moral to this is the safety
OF neutral ships in convoy. In view
OF shipping following more or less
liked routes there should be no diff.
Guilty IN any neutral shipping join-
ing q convoy although not actually
bound for . British port"
British sources added with refer
ence to the. United States position
that the general question of the
effect Of British contraband control
on United, States shipping Is under
( QiscusSson between the British Am
bassado- in Washington and the
State Department in an effort to
reconcile the blockade with Amer
ican neutrality laws.
Barred From Combat Areas.
The Neutrality Act prohibits any
American vessel from entering q
wide area around the British Isles
and most Of Europe and from carry
Ing any passengers or cargo to any
belligerent port In Europe.
British action in having forced
one American vessel to go through
the combat zone to a port in the
British Isles and in forcing many
others to stop at Gibraltar for ex-
animation of their cargo as a part
Of the allied blockade to prevent
contraband from reaching Germany
has aroused particular resentment
here in view of the aim of the Neu-
trality Act to avert such endangerine
Of American shipping.
Contending that British diversion
of our ships into their contraband
control ports violated international
law, Chairman Pittman said Ger.
many's threat to sink neutral YES
sells going through such control
apparently was in retaliation te