A REAL BLOCKADE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 14, 11 October 1917, Page 6

A REAL BLOCKADE

AMERICA'S. PLAN TO END THE WAR

Tho following important statement has been mado to me by a leading member of the Government. I asked liini how far tho United States would go in enforcing the embargo against neutrals, and his answer was: ' '*

"How far do the Allied Governments want us to go? That is what we are waiting to find out." He went on to explain that the position of tho United States was different from that of all otlior nations, as the actions of the latter were to a certain extent circumscribed by international law, decisions of their own Courts; regard for the future, when eonditipns might bo reversed, and political and commercial considerations affecting the present state of affairs. "We are free from all these limitations," this official 6aid. "We are outside the scope of international law because wo are dealing with a/purely domestic question. Public law Hoes not compel one nation to trade with another any more' than municipal law forces one man to sell his property to another. He may if ho cares to, and if he believes it is for his advantage or profit, but if he sees no profit in the transaction and is convinced that it would be distinctly to his disadvantage then ho keeps his property and he has been guilty of no offence. . : "That is precisely our position. It is optional with whom we do business. We believe it would be injurious to ua to sell certain commodities to Holland or Scandinavia, and therefore wq decline to sell. There is no question involved of ultimate destination or enemy destination or any other judicial niceties or violation of treaty rights or well-established principles of international law; we are simply doing with our own as we have a perfect right to do. We are only doing now what wo have always done in time of peace and when we were in friendly relations with all the world. I refer to our tariff policy. Deliberately, to stop trade in-certain goods , or to restrict it as much as possiWp. wfi imposed prohibitory duties. That some nations'resented, but we were strictly within our right?. Our position, again, is difforent to that of other Allies. They, to, a. certain extent, are dependent upon supplies from some of the neutrals, and there ere political and other considerations which it is not necessary for me' to discuss. But we do not ne«d a dollar's worth of anything from any of the neutrals; that is, it would cause us no excessive hardship if the entire neutral trade was susnended during the war; nor need we have any fear of political consequences. Consequently we are in a position to enforce the' most rigid embargo ever known in history, and our nower Tvill be e.terted subject to tho wishes of cur Allies."" The Washington Government realises fhnt it has in the embareo a weapon so death-denliug that against it Germany is powerless. It is more destructive even than the armies is Taisine;, or (he Navy co-operating with th'e Allied Navies, or the sroat fleet of aeroplane 3 now about to be constructed, or the money which has been so c-neronsly ulnred to the credit of the Allies. Pievent Germnnv from setting American food, prohibit Germany from getting food and <>th n r snnnlies from noutrnl fources, a"d the collaosf of Germany is certain. This the Washington Government knows, and therefore it stands rradv to do its part unless it is prevented by 'he same policy which, from the lidrinnincr of the war, has hamtipred the British Navy and made the blockade of (jormnnv a sham.

The Washinefon Government lias never understood tliis milV-imnWater policy, unci when it was neutral often n-ondered why ftprmany was rreated with fo much consideration' snd-wliy such extTerne teuAerness was =liown to neutrals. That is a matter of course, which no nffieinl will nuhllely tliseus?', luit if tlie British Government is no contented with Tinlf me«ienvp=) nnd roally wants.to titir Germany with a that will make it. imnossi'>le f O,- a single pound of contrnband to pn?= tliroi;ffh the ring, it will find th« Washinston Government not only reailv to co-operate l>ut eyiraest in its dpfpnnin.irion to go to\the pxrrer.l" limit". The'-n is no timidity here, no iin frnr of conaeauomes. Prisiilpnt Wilson has only onp purpose, nnd tbet is to brine the war to an end as qnieklv as possible. Will Downing Street help him or hamper him?