Newspapers / Wilmington Morning Star (Wilmington, … / Feb. 18, 1915, edition 1 / Page 1
Part of Wilmington Morning Star (Wilmington, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
" 7':. : U"- J , 'V 's J t ' ft ' -1 , S, -L .... " 3r 1 - , THE WEATHER 1 GET THE MOST FOR YQT7II MOJfKT 'I By reading the Business Local In The Morning Star many bargain appear dally. Thursday and Friday. !;!! VOL. XCV NO. 124. WIIJUINGTOK. K. CwrHTJH$IAT MOB202TG, FEBRUARY 18, 191S WHOLE NUMBER 13,9 J 5.- JAPAN'S MEMORANDUM GIVEN POWERS AS TO HER DEMANDS UPON CHINA NOT COMPLETE PUT WARD HEELERS OUT OF BUSINESS FATE OF NEW BILL AMERICAN NOTE OF PROTEST A GAINS T TREA TMENT OF HER SHIPS ANS WE RED B Y ENGLAND STILL GERMANY'S WAR ON COMMERCE ft FACT Certain Requirements in Original Sent Peking Government I Omitted From Memorandum Given Foreign Diplomats. j Tense Situation Develops, and is Attracting Much Attention in the United States, in England ' and GermanyWashington Watching. Ptku i. Feb. 17. The memorandum recently given by the Japanese lega tion to American, British, French and Rnssisn diplomatic representatives re specting Japan's demands, on China omits certain of the requirements orig nally presented to Peking, if informa tion from presumably well informed sources, both foreign and Chinese, is correct. These negotiations, which be ttan late in January, had for their ob ject determination of the future status of Japan's relations with China and a decision respecting certain questions regarding the future development of the Chinese republic. Their course has been guarded with great .secrecy. The Fekir.gr government did not con ceal its concern over the situation, and 0 February 6, Sun Pao-Chi, Chinese .foreign secretary, at a conference with the Japanese minister at Peking, re jected Japan s proposals on the ground that they were incompatible with ("hina's sovereignty and conflicted with existing' treaties between China and other foreign powers. The Japanese minister then asked for an acceptance in principle, stating that the detailed negotiations could be conducted later. China returned the same answer as to the principles involved. Twenty-One Demands. The original demands, according to information from Peking sources, were ;U in number and were far reaching 'both in Their political and commercial . aspects. It is not Known, nowever, wnetner the original demands were made orally or in a formal written communication. The memorandum as handed to the le gations of the United States, Great Britain. France and Russia is under stood to contain, but 11 demands, sub stantially as follows: In relation to Shan-Tung, China is to transfer all rights and concessions previously enjoyed Dy uermany ana Japan on all matters pre- I must consult viously agreed upon between Germany raid China in the province of Shantung. 4 China is to agree not to alienate or lease Shantung- or-any part of the coast on any pretext to any foreign govern ment and no island near Shantung is to he leased to any foreign power. China is to grant Japan the right to construct a railroad 'from Kiao Chow to Chi Fu. : s Open Trade Ports.' -. Certain -cities in the province of Shantung shall be opened las trade ports. In Southern Manchuria and Mongolia, terms of the lease of the Kwang Tung (Port Arthur and Darien) and the Man fhurian and Mukden railroads are to he extended. In the same region Japan1 is to ac Vtire rights of residence, ownership of Jand and mining grants for her nationals. In the same region of Southern Man churia and Mongolia, the following four requests are made: i Before granting railroad concessions 10 any third power China must agree to j consult Japan in advance. ' Before fmdeavorinjr to obtain capi- al or loans from any third power I i nma must consult Japan. , Before choosing any foreign political, military or financial ' advisers, China must consult Japan. Transfer of management and con trol of the changChin railroad is to be Kink- to the Japanese. s i These requests all relate to Mongolia a"'1 not to China as a whole. ' , ( China obliged not to alienate or ase any ports on bays on any islands aion- the Formosa coast. ! Tlie Demands Omitted. Anions the original demands not in cluded in the memorandum as handed to ioreiori legations are said to beJ llltJ following: j T'latJr '-'I'ina employs foreigners as uii ironing advisers in her police, mil- iiarv m- fin,nn:i jt t . p shall bo preferred; that onc-"b.alf of ammunition and arms used by hlna nni1 be purchased from Japan, 0: an arsenal to be established in nllria t-mploying Japanese experts and tenajs: that China must! grant to tir,Pa-VW s:'n'e privileges as other na- 'on-. to f -stablish missions, schools and ..urenrS throughout the country to opau-up Buddhisni; that mining con (mo!:s conflicting with existing con- sir,s ,. Hanang, Tayeh and Ping fo'ro-,'"" not be granted, to other .iei!P.-.s if a Chino-Japaese Company, liro ' b formed, shall disap- f'oV h " certairl railroad concessions Nun1- 'bansrto Chao-ChoW Fu, from to 't,'-1' "" to Kukiang, from Nanchang Har u' . and from Nanchag to is?ne 1 l,0'V sha11 be &r&ntei. that for-i-xei-",S '''hrr than Japanese shall be and 'U' fr0m future railroad, mining m dt'cv building concessions unless I"1'1 !' sent. thffp1 rilf-cl that China jhas made 'u'-i proposals concerning s "1 Manchuria, Mongolia ;,;nfr and has signified will- I'1"! Sha, 'that W r, " make a public declaration hali never cede a port, hax- "ds to another power, but Pledge itself tq that ef- !;f.u ; o has expressed willingness 'J'- ,1- j -1 j a 0 dis. uriudiius Biae uues not re- "fei "unging on her own sov- v,ith r, ""eeiing existing treaties T ' -'if-r powers. is r. an-" s of the negotiations now "r -touded. Whether Japan will, s tor ,c- 1 j . . . - Pre; 'lUfe uciumas in iun, or ae "mot Insist on any except ill ..,' ilos,,( l torth in the communica lr'0iv,' ' " f foreign governments is not Vti;,; ' T AT WASHINGTON. '..-,'."" " om,ial and Foreign Dlp- l-tohn,f",n' veb. 17.-Press dis rr., peking. and Tokio con- i cerning the Japanese demands on Chi na attracted much interest here today, but officials of the United States gov ernment and diplomats at the Japanese and other embassies would not discuss them. -. The United States government has been kept in close touch with develop ments through embassies and lega tions in Europe as well as Tokio and Peking and Secretary Bryan and Am bassador Chinda are understood to have discussed the situation informally here. The undexstanding from the "best in formed sources is that the Japanese demands as revealed to the powers, re late to certain localities and do not Con cern China as a whole, affecting only parts of Shantung, Southern Manchu ria and Inner Mongolia. t. The recent statement given to the press by the Tokio foreign office and also communicated to the powers, as sured them thaj. nothing in the Japan ese demands interfered with the terri torial integrity of China or the princi ple of equal opportunity in the , Far East. This tended to clarify the situa tion which had been somewhat con fused for foreign governments by ru mors and reports of an extensive Jap anese plan for commercial expansion in China. Door Stay Open. It was said also in well informed quarters today that nothing thus far had developed which had occasioned any formal inquiries from the United States to Japan on the question or had raised any apprehension that the "open door" policy would be adversely affect ed. Railway concessions, mining privi leges and other rights previously en joyed by Germany in the province of Shantung and an extension of the terms of leases already held by Japan in Southern Manchuria and Inner Mon golia, and new railway concessions in these regions are included in the Jap- anese demands with the added provi- sions. that in Southern Mawcfcturta and Inrfer T3fori goTia" tW. emplbpmetrf -trjr j China of any foreign political, military or financial advisers should not be consummated without the consent of Japan. Japan also desires that if China plans the floating of loans with any third power based on revenues or properties in Southern Manchuria and Inner Mon golia, Japan should be consulted first. Similarly Japan asks that China shall grant no competing concessions to any third power in this same section with out first discussing the subject with the Tokio government and obtaining its consent. As for the demand that no ports, "har bors or islands off the coast of China be ceded to any third power, Japan ese claims to have included this in. line with her belief that the integrity of China can be preserved best by a dis continuance of the .policy of ceding or leasing Chinese territory to foreign governments. In connection with reports that ori- ginally Japan contemplated a mucn more extensive plan for expansion in China, various rumors have Deen trans- mitted to officials and diplomats here, but the memorandum, nnaup given iu the powers, which constitutes, it is be lieved, the present basis of negotia, tions is known not to bear out the un official advices. BRITISH PRESS COMMENT. ; "Gloom in Europe, Is Sunshine for Jap- j an. ana Japan Makes Hay." London, Feb. 17. "Gloom in Europe is sunshine for Japan, so Japan is j making hay," is the Manchester Guar dian's "comment on Japan s demanas on China," which the Guardian declares "in some ways are scarcely compatible with the declared object of the, Anglo Japanese alliance to Insure indepen dence and integrity of China." ATTEJTTION AT BERLIN. German Pres Regrets Blindness of Germany's Enemies Danger. Berlin, Feb 17, (Via London) Jap an's demands on China are attracting much attention here. The Cologne Gazette says the most important step ever undertaken by Japan occurs at a time when all the great European powers are rending each other, and the United States is playing a role which never was expect ed of her. The Gazette regrets the "blindness of Germany's enemies, who permit such a catastrophe to threaten the white race." GEORGE DOWLESS RELEASED. Bladen Man Gives 2,500 Bond for Ap- pearance at Cplumbus Court. (Special Star Telegram.) Whitevllle, N. C, Feb. 17, George Dowless, a well known white man of Bladen -county, who was placed in jail here last week charged with the killing of Joe Munn, a negro, at East Arcadia, was today, released under bond of 2, 500, given by. Messrs. L. Porter, L. E. Squires and J. W. Dowless. After hear ing affidavits made by prominent citi zens of both Bladen and Columbus counties, Judge H. W. Whedbee, in chambers here today, upon application of counsel, permitted the defendant to give bond for his appearance at the April term of Superior Court. Chicago, Feb. 17. Resolutions recom mending that hospitals be required to admit patients suffering with tuber culosis were adopted at the closing session of the. convention of the Asso ciation of American Medical colleges today. Dr. C: R. Barden,, of Madison, Wis was elected president and Chi cago was chosen for the 1916 conven tion. , urP8e Bill Introduced by Senator Frank Hobgood. INSURANCE BILL PASSED House Votes by Large Majority for Sea- well Bill, But Senate Committee is Against It -Teachers' V Bill Killed. (Snecial Star Telegram.) Raleigh, N. C, Feb. 1 7. Senator Frank Hobgood, of Guilford, introduced a bill today to amend the Corrupt Prac tices act by prohibiting the payment by candidates of any money for' ser vices other thn clerical service, being designed to stop "ward heelers" from taking money for their votes on the pretext of rendering service in the pri mary. He also offered a bill to Incorporate the Baptist Education Board, head quarters at Durham, created at the ast Baptist State Convention. The House passed without further debate today the Seawell bill, giving the State Department of Insurance power to raise or lower fire insurance rates, the bill coming over from yes terday as unfinished business. It was an aye and noe vote and it passed by a large majority. It is the Kansas law as-recommended by the legislative in vestigation commission. The House defeated by a vote of 70 to 40 the bill of the State Department of Education and State Teachers' As sembly to provide uniform examina- tion und certification of public school lcaluci s, cut; vuic veins J Ll x iiivri.ilAt to table. The "debate on the Senate bill for examination and certification of teacher was long and spirited with Chairman Mints, of the committee on education, leading the fight for the bill and his Wayne county colleague, Rep resentative Matt Allen, as one of the chief opponents and Representative Smith, of Cleveland, for 20 years a teacher, as another of the. most vigor ous opponents. The Senate was informed by,' Chair man Chatham, of the Senate finance committee, that he will lay before the i.Senate tomorrow,. th revenuebillXfrom the BtffcS tjSpiB?? proceed at once with its. csofreideration Iby sections. Chairman Chatham will be in charge of the bill during its con sideration in the Senate. An informal discussion of the Sea well bill for State regulation of fire Insurance rates, that passed the House today was had this afternoon by the Senate .committee. No action was taken, but it developed that all except one member of the committee present, Sen ator McMichael, will oppose the Sea well bill. The view taken is that the law would raise the danger of the insurance companies withdrawing from the ' State and precipitate adequate commercial insurance and work un told harm to the business interests. Several members of the committee be lieve State regulation, is sound in prin ciple but they deem it inexpedient to undertake complete rate control at this time. Indications are that the Kansas rate making law in the Seawell bill will be stricken out by the Senate committee and the Commissioner of Insurance given power to investigate rates and make public record of any rates con sidered excessive. To Repeal Crop Lien Law. The joint committee on agriculture spent four hours hearing discussion to night on the Sellars bill in the House and the Currie bill in the Senate to repeal thp crop,lein law which has been operative in this State since 1868. The House bill .was reported unfavorably 7 to 5 ancf the Currie bill was re- ported favorably with, two votes against it. , Dr. Alexander, president of the Farmers' Unibn, and Dr. Clar ence Poe, of th Progressive Farmer, were among those who appeared to urge the repeal. Representative Free man' was one- of the principal oppo (Continued on Page Eight.) L APOLOGIZETO GERARD For Hostile Demonstration in Berlin Theatre. Man in Audience Overhearing Ambas sador's Party Speaking English Started Trouble Violent Tirade Against IT. S. Basel, Switz., Feb. 17 (via Paris). Emperor William will apologize per sonally to James W. Gerard, the Ameri can ambassador tb Germany, for the hostile demonstration which occurred at a Berlin theatre on the evening of February 9, according to a telegram received here today from Berlin. The emperor, it is said, will ex press his regrets to Mr. Gerard when the ambassador visits his majesty at East Prussian fortress of Koenigsburg. Mr, Gerard is reported to have accept ed4 the .Emperor's invitation to go to Koenigsburg. Ambassador Gerard and a party from the American embassy were .attending a theatre in Berlin on February. 9, when, greatly to their annoyance, a man in the audience protested they were speaking English. When informed that his remarks were directed against the American ambassador ,the man be gan a loud ' and violent tirade against the United States for permitting the exportation of' arms. The individual was finally suppressed by attendants. EMPEROR WILLIAM WIL Time Limit Expired at Mid night Last Night. ON SMALL SHIP SUNK Reply to Washington IVote Said to Have Been Handed to Gerard But Xot Known at Washington. Big Battle Waged. The time limit set by Germany for neutral shipping to ; take measures of safety has expired arid Germany is now expected to put intoToperation her de clared intention of employing her sub marines and mines in :ihe waters around the British Isles which she had iro claimed a war zone, with the object of cutting off food supplies to the British people. Germany has earnestly warned the neutral states that this zone will here after be a danger zone for all shipping and has expressed her determination to take the most stringent action against British merchant men. It is announced from Berlin that Germany's reply to the American note of protest against this action has been handed to the American ambassador at the German capital, but the reply has not been received by the State Depart ment at Washington. In the meantime Germany, in developing her submarine warfare, has added one more merchant ship to the list of vessels destroyed; , by gjnklng the Bmall, French steamer Ville de Lille, off Cherbourg. Big Battles on Land. . Regarding operations on land, tt is apparent from the official announce ments issued by the French war office, that heavy, fighting 4sj .Jaking.- place both in Belgium and in France. The French claim not only to - tiave maintained the ground recently gained, but to have capturexl German trenches and to have repelled many counter-attacks by the Germans. Frenchnvia tors. have, dropped bombs on the railway station at Freiburg, Baden. : ; ? . Field Marshal Von Hindenburg's suCf, III lift. :r .t.-.w-. V.rf . celebrated m Berlin where 'Von Hin denburg's direction of the campaign is described as having been characterized by masterly skill. Officially, it is an nounced that the German troops are still following the Russians north of the Nieman river. In Poland, north of the Vistula, from Plock, recently occupied by the Ger mans, to Racionz, another great battle is apparently developing. Fighting in that region already is of a desperate nature. Austria, according to Swiss advices, for ten days has been concentrating troops, chiefly, artillery, on her Italian frontier. Guns have been placed to dominate the Tyrolese passes. ' All along the entire boundary of Serbia, Albanian forces are active. Ochrida, 100 miles north of Janina, has been captured by the Albanians and violent fighting is in progress at sev eral places. A Constantinople dispatch to Berlin says that the Bulgarian seaport of Dedegatch on the Aegean sea is block aded by British and French warships to prevent foodstuffs from being trans ported to Germany and Austria through this -route. Copenhagen hears a report that 5, 000,000 Germans, ineligible for army service, who have independent means, are to be ordered by the German gov ernment to proceed to neutral coun tries and there remain until the end of the war to decrease the consumption of food in the Empire. A report from. Basel, Switzerland, says that Emperor William, who has invited Mr. Gerard, the American am bassador to Germany, to the East Prus sian front, will apologize personally to the ambassador for the demonstration made against him recently in a Berlin theatre. Basel gives a Berlin dispatch as a basis for this statement. NO REPLY RECEIVED. Washington Realizes Situation Full of Grave Possibilities. Washington, Feb. 17. Secretary of State Bryan said late tonight that ho reply had been, received from Germany to the American note concerning sub-i marine attacks on belligerent merchant vessels in the new sea war zones under the German admiralty's proclamation, which goes into effe'et tomorrow. If a reply to the protest of the United States had been delivered in Berlin to Mr. Ger ard, the State Department has not been told of that fact. The warning in Great Britain's com plete reply to the American communi cation concerning contraband and neu tral shipping that if Germany aban dons the principles of international law by "refusing to-verify the character of a merchant ship before attacking, Eng land may not be bound by .the rules hitherto accepted, injected into the sit uation further uncertainties. While White House and State Depart ment officials did not discuss what mightbe done, if any American vessels or lives should be lost-in the war, zone, ii was admitted that the situation was fraught with many grave possibilities. Representatives of the German gov ernment are entirely rriendly in their conference, with Ambassador Gerard, and there is nothing to show that of ficially there has been any change in the good relations which have hitherto existed. V The manner of carrying out the sub marine campaign is awaited;here with considerable anxiety. El Paso, Texas, Feb. 17.- Gen. Obre gon, the Carranza commander, haa evacuated Mexico City, accordingto ad vices received tonight in Juarez from the South. Jt was said that the troops of General Zapata has occupied tbe capital. ' ' ' House Compromise Does Not 2 Meet Requirements. PROBE LOBBY CHARGE Committee Begins Investigation of Charges of Outside Influences No Extra Session of Congress is General Belief. Washington, Feb. 17. The amended government s'hip bill, rushed through the House early todas'. failed to gain, any ground when it reached the Senate and. administration leaders tonight were uncertain as to its fate. , Early in the day I was discovered that the amended bill had failed to sat isfy jecalcitrant Democrats or Pro gressive Republicans. Without sup port of either of these factions, the bill could not be passed. Democratic lead ers realized nothing could be done un less the measure could be changed 'in conference, but efforts to send it to conference failed. Another attempt will be made tomorrow, it was said. Tonight it was reported that a pend ing motion to take up the bill tomorj row might prevail but Republican lead ers, it was declared, would insist upon an understanding that other legisla tion should be considered before they would cease opposition. v. Chief interest centered today in the special Senatecommittee's inquiry into charges of - outside influences on the ship purchase measure. Bernard N. Baker, a Baltimore steamship manager, told the committee he had informed Secretary McAdoo that 80 per cent of fpreigh ships' tied up in United States ports as a regult of the v war, were not available for purchase because unsuits ed for commercial purposes. Mr. Baker also stated W. J. Sickel, a Hamburg-American Line official, had told him he received orders from the German, government not to sell any German vessels to the United Statesl The committee summoned Mr. Sickel, who will appear tomorrow. Wallace Downey, a ship builder, also was sum moned, v Keep ITp the Fight. As to the ship purchase bill itself, Republican leaders, insisting it is dead, express . willingness to quit their filir jnusJtef vifkfbe Senatetwill iaJe.v'Up. ap propriation rnriismfiiUttr ocrats were said ' to, be willing to do this if the shipping bill ftrst could be sent to . conference. Negotiations for an understanding were under way to night and may culminate when the Sen ate, meets tomorrow. Senators Norris, Kenyon and LaFol lette, Progressive Republicans, who fa vored the Senate bill, would not support the Weeks-Gore measure as it passed the House because, they believed it- to be too temporary in character. "Insur gent Democrats opposed the measure because they thought its character too-j permanent. Senator Hardwick sought to amend the motion to send the bill to conference with the instruction that it be made terminable two years after the war. This was defeated with Pro gressive Republican votes. Despite the uncertainty of the situa tion, Senate ar)d House leaders felt confident there will be no extra session of Congress and that the ship purchase bill, if not sent to conference, would.be displaced , in the Senate by appropria tion bills.. The report persists that as many of the supply measures as cani be passed before March 4th will be disposed of and that joint resolutions continuing existing appropriations for other de partments will be adopted wherever necessary. ; Administration leaders held a long conference late in the day and consid ered several proposals to the Republi cans for ending the filibuster by send ing the bill- to conference. No agree ment was reached, however, and the Democratic leaders sought to hold the Senate in session for the night, think ing this might bring about some com promise. They were unable to get Progressive Republicans to stand with them and a motion to adjourn carried. MACHINERY BILL TO BE COMPLETE BY SATURDAY All Sheriffs to Settle by Third Monday in June. This Provision Most Important Change Made, Vester day- Committee Hears Argument for Mount Mitch ell Purchase. (Special Star Telegram.) Raleigh, N. C, Feb. 17. The joint finance committee has just 20 more j of the 119 sections constituting the old Machinery act to consider and revise before the new machinery bill will be ready for introduction In the House, and it is expected that the work will be completed tomorrow and that the new bill will be printed and ready for introduction certainly by Saturday. The most important change made to day was a determination to repeal all the special acts giving special times by which sheriffs of the various counties shall settle State taxes and make the time uniform the State over the third Monday in June and provide that if the State taxes are not settled within 60 days thereafter the State Treasurer shall sue for the collection of the taxes from the sheriff and his sureties. Mt. Mitchell .Reservation; The joint committee on appropria (Continued on Page Two.) Second and Complete Reply to Note From United States on Subject is Handed Ambassador Page Great Britain Denies Interference With Neutral Commerce on the High Seas, and Claims the Right of a Belligerent in Action Taken. Washington, Feb. 17. Great Brit ain's second and complete reply to the American note of protest, which, on December 28 last, asked for an early 0 i- improvement in the treatment of Amer ican commerce by the British fleet, was made public tonight by mutual agree ment between the State Department and the British foreign office. The note, addressed to Ambassador Page by Sir Edward Grey under date of February, 10, denies that the de pression in American industries is due to the activity of the British fleet, and suggests among other causes the short age of shipping facilities, the conse quent diminuition of cotton trade and the "destruction of many neutral ships by submarine mines, laid by the enemy indiscriminately." The communication contains the an nouncement that Great Britain intends to take retaliatory measures against the German submarine campaign on enemy ships, but does jiot reveal their nature. Sees Xo Difference. Conceding that food stuffs intended for the civil population of a country are not contraband, the British gov ernment points out that "in any coun try in which there exists such tremen dous organization for war as now ob- "J .... V. ' B.M. J j . . 1 . V. . J i t Ml 1 division between those 'whom the gov ernment is responsible for feeding and those whom it is not." "It will still be our endeavor," says the note, "to avoid injury and loss . to neutrals, but the announcement by the German government of their intention to sink merchant vessels and their cargoes without verification of their nationality or character and without making any provisjpns for the safety of non-combatant crews by giving them a ' chance for saying their lives has made it necessary for his majesty's ovrumJent 1 to coaisid er.w hat ijseaaures, they shdulff adopr'tu prbtect their in terests, it is impossible for" one bel ligerent to depart from rules and prec edents and fr the other to remain bound by them." Supplementing the preliminary reply of several weeks ago, the new note is about 10,000 words long and includes not only statistical arguments but a further discussfon of the legal princi ples involved. Claims Study of Statistics. Since the presentation of the pre liminary note, Sir Edward states, he had had "further opportunity of exara Ing into the trade statistics of the United States as embodied in the cusT toms returns, in order to see whether the belligerent action of Great Brit ain has been in any way the cause of the trade depression which Your Ex cellency (Ambassador Page) describes as existing in the United States and also whether the seizures of vessels or cargoes which ' have been made by 1 the British navy have inflicted any j loss on American owners for which our existing machinery provides no means of redress. "In setting out the results of my in vestigation, I think it well to take the opportunity of giving a general review of the methods employed by His Ma jesty's government to intercept coun traband trade with the enemy, of their consistency-toward the admitted right of a belligerent to intercept such trade, and also of the extent to which they have endeavored to meet the rep resentations and complaints from time to time, addressed to them on behalf of the United States "government. "Towards the close of your note of December 28, Your Excellency describ ed "the situation produced by the ac tion of' Great Britain as a pitiful one to the commercial interests of the United States and said that many of the great industries of the country were suffering because their products were denied long established markets In neutral European countries con tiguous to the nations at war. War Effects Commerce. "It is unfortuantely true that in these days, when trade and finance are cos mopolitan, any war,, particularly a war of any magnitude, must result in a grievous dislocation of commerce, in cluding that of the nations which take no part in the war. Your Excellency will realize that in this tremendous struggle it is impossible for the trade of any country to escape all, injury and loss, but for such His Majesty's government are not to blame. "I do not understand the paragraph which I have quoted from Your Ex cellency's note as referring to these indirect consequences of the state of war, but to the more proximate and direct effect of our belligerent action in dealing with neutral ships and car goes on- the high seas. Such action has been limited to vessels on their way to enemy ports in neutral countries adjacent to the theatre of war, be cause it is only through such ports that the enemy introduces the sup plies which he requires for,. carrying on the war." v Sir Edward asserts that only eight of the 773 ships sailing from the United States for neutral European countries have been placed in prize courts and that only 45 have been "temporarily detained to enable particular consign ments of cargo to be discharged for the purpose of prize court proceed ings.!' , Does Not Detail Incidents. The note does not go into detail as to American ships detained on the high seas or taken to British ports for search. The statistics Of exports from the United States are analyzed and the observation made that if cotton be ex cluded, the effect of the war has been not to decrease but practically to ar rest the decline of American exports which was in progress earlier in the year, in fact, any decrease in American 1 exports which is attributed to the war is essentially cotton." Pointing out that Great Britain has never declared cotton contraband the,, note says imports of cotton to the United Kingdom fell as heavily as those to other countries. "The general result," it continues, "is to show convincingly that the na val operations of Great Britain are not the cause of any diminution in the vol ume of American exports and that if the commerce of the United States is in the unfavorable condition which Your Excellency describes, the cause ought in fairness to be sought else where than in the activities of His Majesty's naval forces." The communication contends that even though trade between the. United States and the Allies has diminished, the volume of commerce with neutral countries has been maintained and the inference "may fairly be drawn" that a substantial part of this trade was in fact intended for the enemy countries going through neutral ports. Shortage of Ships. Taking up some of the inconveni ences to which this great war is expos ing the commerce of all neutral coun tries, the note points out that undoubt edly "the serious shortage in ships available for ocean transport, and the consequential results of excessive freights" have had much to do with the situation, but a denial is entered that Great Britain's activity has brought about this shortage for it is added that only ten neutral vessels are awaiting adjudication in prize courts. Great Britain declares she too is suf fering as "acutely if not more than other nations" from a shortage of ships and a rise in freights and has taken "every step consistent with belligerent interests to increase the tonnage avail able for the transport of sea-borne commerce." f ,' The hope is expressed that' the United States, will reaJLize that.tlys deention .of hutriti " ships "by the Allies has not ' contributed nearly so much as to the shortage of ships "'as has the destruc tion of neutral vessels by submarine mines indiscriminately laid by the en emy on the high seas in the track of merchant vessels." ' Destroyed by Mines. "Up till now," continued the note, "25 neutral vessels have been reported as destroyed by mines on the high seas, quite apart from all questions of the breach of treaties and the detsruction of life, there is far more reason for the protest on the score of bellig erent interference with innocent neu tral trade through the mines scattered by the enemy than through the British exercise of the right of seizing con traband." Discussing the general proposition , that a belligerent is entitled to capture contraband goods on their way to the enemy, the British note traces the or igin of the right of interception and quotes at length the doctrine of con tinuous voyage as enunciated during the civil war by Secretary Seward. The question of ultimate destination also Is argued in legal detail. To justify the detention of suspected cargoes passing between neutral coun tries and taking them into ports foi'C examination, the cases of American practice during the Spanish-American war are cited and the note says' these precedents are incistent with the state ment of the American government to the British ambassador at Washington, November 7 which insists that search should be made on the high seas "at the time of the visit," and that the "conclusion of the search should rest upon the evidence found on the ship under investigation and not upon cir cumstances ascertained from external sources." Why Carried to Port. , The foreign secretary reiterates that the increased size of steamships neces sitates search in calm waters, and In sists that during the Russo-Japanese war and also during the second Belkan war "British vessels were made to de viate from their course and follow the cruisers to some spot where the right of visit and search could be morf conveniently carried out," and in both cases, "although questioned at first. Great Britain Anally acquiesced." To take a ship into port, the note contends, is not to be looked upon "as a new belligerent right, but as an adaptation of the existing right to the modern conditions of commerce," and. it must be exercised "with due regard to neutral interests and it would be unreasonable to expect a neutral ves sels to make long deviations from her course for this purpose." For this rea son, it isY asserted, aeutral merchant men were encouraged to , visit some British port on their route. Offers Adequate Compensation. Realizing that in no war that has yet been waged have neutral Individu als "not occasionally suffered from un justified belligerent action," Great Britain suggests that opportunities for adequate compensation are offered in the British prize courts. "It is the common experience of eve ry war," continues the note, "that nei trals whose attempts to engage in SHis picious trading are frustrated by a bel ligerent, are wont to have recourse to their government and urge that diplo matic remonstrances should be made on their behalf and that redress should be obtained for them in this way. When an effective mode of redress Is open to them in the courts of a civilized coun try by which they can obtain adequate satisfaction for any invasion of their rights which is contrary to the lawn of nations, the only course which is con sistent with sound principle is that they should be referred to that mode of redress and that no diplomatic action should be taken until their legal reme dies have been exhausted, and they are ; (Continued on Page Two.) J 1' V V- ;Tr-, 'V 1 i. -.-if
Wilmington Morning Star (Wilmington, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Feb. 18, 1915, edition 1
1
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75