DECLARATION OF LONDON.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1086, 27 March 1911, Page 5

DECLARATION OF LONDON.

In replying to a number of British public bodies which had criticised various provisions of the Declaration of London, Sir Edward Grey, tho British Foreign Secretary, traversed the arguments put forward against ratification. Summarising, the "Manchester Guardian" said:— ! 'One of the most important communications is that addrossed to the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce by the Foreign i Office on November 26. In this letter the Chamber's contention that the impedir ments which would in their opinion be placed in the way of trade in neutral bottoms by the adoption of the Declaration would constitute a new danger to this country when nt «;ar is dealt with at length. Tho directors of the Chamber contended that by the addition of the words 'or other place serving as a base' to the old rule that foodstuffs sent to a besieged or blockaded place shall be treated as contraband the definition of the terra 'conditional contraband' was dangerously extended. This assertion is characterised by Sir E. Grey as untenable. The notion that, under the existing law of nations, foodstuffs become contraband only if on the way to a besieged or blockaded place is, he says, erroneous. Dealing with the same point in a ldtter to the Xeith Shipowners' Society, Sir Edward ■Grey .says that, so far from 'hanipering our supplies of food and rendering merchant snipping more liable than ever to capture and destruction, the Declaration Once for all puts an end to the practice of treating as 'contraband foodstuffs destined for the civil . population of th« country, and so materially mitigates the Tisks and dangers to which even under existing.conditions neutral merchant shipping must unhappily always remain liable so Jon? as the law of contraband exists.' "With regard to another point on which criticism was made—that of the possible abuse of the right of destruction of neutral vessels previous to adjudication in a prize court—the Foreign Office contention js that, combined with the establishment of an International Conrt of Appeal in matters of prize, tho concessions by the other Powers secured in the Declaration constitute a very effective safeguard against any abuse of the jower which belligerents have up to now claimed to ctforciso without any restraints. Nonratification of the Declaration, as urged by w>inn of the correspondents, -wnuUl necessarily involve abandonment both ol these concessions and of the whole scheme of an international prizo court. "In the rnnrso of a reply fo the Belfast Chfmlifr of Commerce, who look special exception 'to (he proposal in tho Declaration respecting conversion of merebpntmeu into warships without notice,' Sir Edward Grey pointed out that tho Declaration docs not make nny mention whatever ol this subject, silul 'expressed surprise ami regret that (he council should condemn an important international ner«eni<>n( without apparently bavin? read it. He promised to lay before Parlmmenr the Chamber's letter urging tbr.f the Declaration should not be ratified." "Isn't that a heavenly little dog?" exclaimed a gushing young Inrly. "Well," replied her companion, "It's cerlninly a Skye terrier 1"