DEPORTATION RAIDS.

Taranaki Daily News, 30 December 1916, Page 3

DEPORTATION RAIDS.

• AMERICA'S FUTILE PROTEST. Washington, December 11. With the publication of the American protest against Germanys' deportation of Belgians, the State Department Ims disclosed the fact that America lias exhausted its means of diplomacy, and has now laid the case before American public opinion, from which it expects to draw guidance to define the next steps, if any, that shall be taken. Germany's reply, through the Chancellor, Dr. von Bethniann-Hollweg, is to the effect that the deportations are justified on the grounds of social necessity. The protest of America is, therefore, unheeded.

Officials, when questioned, admitted that Germany may consider the publication of the protest unfriendly; but this contingency was taken into consideration before the announcement was made. The State Department feels that it has gone far beyond the usual diplomtic course in its protest to Germny, and that in the strict sense America has almost no right to discuss the matter at all with Germany, because the Belgian interests in Berlin are represented by Spain, not by the United States. Consequently, as all diplomatic procedure has admittedly been exhausted, tile Deprtment had no other course than to give the facts, and leave the case at that.

The contents o( the present Note have been made public without consultation ( \vith Germany. .Meanwhile, alarm lias been caused by a second British officii statement which has been received, to the effect that American relief in Belgium may terminate because of the deportations.