The Dominion. TUESDAY, AUGUST 1, 1916. THE BLACK LIST

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2838, 1 August 1916, Page 4

The Dominion. TUESDAY, AUGUST 1, 1916. THE BLACK LIST

The American Note on Britain's I'Black.List policy will, of course, re--1 ceivo the_ attention duo to the reI presentations of a friendly Power, but the British Government should not find it difficult to show that its action in this matter is both just and reasonable. The Allies have always done their -utmost to avoid friction with. neutrals in waging this gigantic war, in which the economic element is rilaying a tremendously important part. In fact they have at times waived legitimate opportunities of embarrassing tho enemy' out of a too tender regard "for neutral susceptibilities. The Imperial authorities have been at various times severely criticised on this account, moro especially where their action, or rather inaction', was quite obviously assisting our enemies to maintain their fighting strength. 'It must never be forgotten that' we are at grips with an adversary who cares nothing at all for international morality or tho law of nations. We are fighting against a ruthless outlaw State. The foul methods of Germany have compelled the Allies to find an answer to tho. question put by Mr. Balfour: "What does international morality require of one .belligerent when the other belligerent tramples international law in the dust?" Mr. Balfour points out that while the obligation'of international morality is absolute, that of international law is conditional, and one of its conditions is reciprocity. And yet it has been the constant desire of the British Government to adhere as closely as possible to the letter as well as the spirit of the law of nations. In one of its Notes the American Government declared its readiness to take into account "tho great dangers which have occurred in the condition and means of naval warfare since the rules hitherto governing legal blockades were formulated." America has admitted tho right of a belligerent to establish a blockade of enemy ports, and this obviously implies the right to adopt whatever measures may bo necessary to make the blockade effective, provided that, to quote tho words of a previous American Note, they "conform, with tho spirit and principles of tho essence of the rules of war." The British Government has expressly declared its willingness to apply this rule to tho action which it has taken in so far as it has necessitated interference with neutral commerce. The- Black List policy will certainly stand the test. It is regrettable, though inevitable, chas it should cause inconvenience to neutrals; but it is not too much to expoct neutrals to remember that vastly more important matters than buying and selling have to be considered in this struggle. Tho future of the world is being decided, and the preservation of Christian civilisation depends upon the success of the Allies. The Black List system is the logical outcome of the decision of the British Government in April, 1910, to increase the' strictness of the blockade in consequence of Germany's campaign of murder, outrage, and piracy. At tho beginning of the present year it was decided to compilo a statutory Black List, on which would bo placed the names of persons connected with any trading concern in, Germany or in any way identified with any business in that country. This list is published from time to time, and the legal effect of such publication is the prohibition of trading with porsons whose names

appear thereon. There may, for instance, bo a firm or an- agency in America or Holland, or any other neutral country, handling Germanmade goods which it has been passing on to New Zealand as made in tho country of shipment. That firm's name being placed on the Black List, no one belonging to any of tho Allied nations oan trade with it for any class of goods.' But tho Black List is not compiled merely rrom firms which endeavour to smuggle into Allied countries Ger-man-mado goods; names may be placed on it on other grounds; and it. is easy to see that the Black List is a- very powerful weapon striking at Gorman trade and all associated with it. It is satisfactory to_ know that the Now Zealand authorities are co-operating with tho Imperial Government 'in thiß matter. In the course of a recent speech in tho House of Representatives the Hon. A.-L. Herdman sfcat.ed iihat the Government had extend-' ed the definition of trading with tho i enemy so as'to cover trading with ] branches of enemy firms wherever they aro in tho world, Great Britain excluded. The Attorney-General has power' to declare the members of such branch firms to bo enemies, and when their names are published in the Gazette it becomes unlawful to trade with them. The New Zea-' land Government gets tho statutory Black' List from England and publishes it here, and it is reasonable 'to assume that Australia, Canada, and South Africa aro doing tho same_' thing. Me. - Herdman is of opinion that as far as New Zealand is concerned trading with the enemy is now practically non-existent. Some people may foe inclined to challenge this statement, but there can bo no doubt that the claborato precautions which have been taken "have made it a very difficult and dangerous thing to bring German goods into .this Dominion, directly or indirectly. But tho need for ceaseless vigilance still remains, for the enemy is both resourceful arid unscrupulous. The Black List is _proving an effective, weapon against Germany, and it'is not surprising to find that German firms in the United States aro endeavouring to bring pressure to boar in the hope of compelling the British Government to remove this effoctivc link from the blockade chain. But Britain's grin on the enemy's throat is more likoly to be tightened than relaxed. Dutch bankers are now being called upon_ to sign a declaration that thoy will refuse to do business with firms on the Black List. They aro endeavouring- to arrange for some mitigation of this'requirement, but the influence of London, the ccntro of tho world's exchange, is so great that the Dutch banks aro not likely to be able to resist the pressure. . ' '