1915-04-19 — Page 5

THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH

SECOND

EXTRA

HONGKONG, MONDAY, APRIL 19, 1915.

SOME WAR REFLECTIONS.

AN INTERESTING ANALYSIS OF THE SITUATION.

Submarine Aggression, an American View,

(Continued from Saturday,)

UNWISE PRACTICE.

Ornament Snatched from a Lady.

The unwise practice of ladies carrying jewellery suspended by slender fastenings to their cloth- ing, especially when they parado the parts of the town where coolies are plentiful, has led to another prosecution at the Polio Court.

Boundary, and the other neutraling, audy named Mrs. Rosario From the story told this mern- In this situation Germany natione, in less brusque language, Fajaido, of St. George's House, might hope to stand off her ea- naserted the same rights. emies to take such a tremendous toll of human life as the price of Wilhelmina's cargo to the prize Road, wearing a gold brooch England, on her part, saat the Central Market, in Qaden's was in the neighbourhood of the yielding not German bat French, courte ad indicated her deter and watch combination, valued- Belgian, and Russian territory, mination to continue ber embargo, at that her enemies, through ex-It now remained for Germany to The dangling ornament was too $75, on her blouse. haustion, through shear inability decide whether she would make great a temptation for a Chinese to continue the sacrifice, might good her words, neglect the who was passing to withstand, content to make peace, collective-American wataing, and sink and he snatched it. The lady ly or severally, if she were herself neutral ships, or admit defeat immediately cried out for assist Baie from peril. But if the British diplomatically. Her paper block-ance, and her chase was assisted fleet should out off the food supply ate had failed in its purpose by a watchman from a Japanese from without, then victorions wholly, and aroused the resent-steamer and a Chinese constable. Germany might be brought to her ment of all neutrals, to whom The thief was observed to throw keeps and conquered provinces German peosssities bulked smaller something away, but the chase did would be as Midas gold to her than their own rights. lipa."

VII. Germany's Case in Law.

not stop until he was captured. This purpose Great Britain now In the matter of the grain em- but the man was arrested and The ornament was not found, proclaimed. British leata in the bargo Germany could plead war- received three months hard.. Channel, at Gibraltar, north of rant in international law. Her labour and four hours' stooke a Scotland, had balted ships carry-cane roated upon that principle punishment. ing copper, Germany's one great stated in the Declaration of Lon- lack for ammunition manufacture; don which makes foodstuffs con- British pressure upon adjacent ditional contraband. Article 33 neutrale upon Scandinavia, Hol- of the Declaration provides that land, and Italy early began to "Conditional contraband is liable check the flow of contraband to to capture if it ia shown to be the Fatherland. The reports of destined for the use of the armed

shortage of broadstuff in Ger- forces or a government depart-in the Hongkong Courts at times, many had reached the outside ment of the enemy state, unless in but one told this morning will world and presently came the this latter chas the circumstances take a lot of beating. decree of the government which show that the goods cannot in brought the seizore by the fact be used for the purposes of Central took compassion on a A shop-keeper in Queen's Road government of all grains and the the war in progress," Grain and baggur, and responded to future distribution by the state. foodstuffa are in this sense conspiration to assist his fellow

With this step it became clear ditional contraband.

The

must be maintained by a force

GRATITUDE.

How Good Intention Was Appreciated.

Some amazing stories are told

AD

With true Socialistic spirit; brother to put up the shutters he engaged his impecunious of his ebop. Imagine his feel- age when he found that the the wayside had helped himself beggar whom he had assiated by

to two of the shatters and had cleared off with them!

The ending was a most unrom- i

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that Germany might face eventual The decision of the German to turn on honest cash, by provid- famine naless she could break Government to take over the ing him with whatever labour the blockade. To break it she whole grain supply of the nation was within his means: resolved upon the submarine furnished the British Government blockade of England, which was, with a technical justification for in fact, a proposal to sink all the seizure of the Wilhelmina, and British merchant ships, with for seizing future grain cargoes. their crews if necessary, in the On the other hand, the case of hope of making Britain endure the neutrals against German pro- the same danger of grain famine posals was equarely bottomed which now threatened' Germany, upon international law. But this was in reality an idle first roquisite for a blockade ia threat, for there were lacking to that it enall be effective; that is, antic one-the baggar, was sent Germany sufficient submarines to 68 was defined in the Declaration enced to six weeks imprisonment maintain a real blockade and of Paris in 1856 and reaffirmed in and four hours' stocks. neutral ships were still able to the Declaration of London, "it serve England.

But if Germany could compel sufficient, really, to prevent access the neutral nations to bring to the enemy coast-line." To such a protest could only inflame England to abandon her purpose claim this for the few German German resentment when to consider foodstuffs contraband, submarines used to interrupt com.appeared at the same moment as she might still attain her end. merce in British waters was pat. the brasque warning to Germany. To do this she staked all on a ently absurd. As it could not be For America, for all neatral single throw, and following the effective, the German blockade nations, the new German policy precedent of Napoleon, the was, in fact, a mere paper black-was fraught with the gravest dangerous precedent which in the ade, without standing. Again, a perils. Holland, Scandinavia, end proved fatal to him, pro-blockade must be continuously Italy, all those staten fraded with claimed a war zone about the maintained, another task beyond Great Britain and all were forced British Islands and warned the submarines.

now to consider the possibility of neutral "powers that their ships Ia sum, then, the German de-an "incident" which might bring would, after February 18, ba olaration amounted to a threat to them to the edge of war, an inci exposed to the same perii asaink neutral ships in neutral dent" resulting merely from the British ships in this war zone. waters; that is, on the high seas,ercise by them of those rights Patently what Germany expected if those waters were within the which had not been questioned was not to sink neutral ships, bat area described by Germany as a in law since Napoleon, în a dilem- that neutral nations, headed by war zone. According to usage ma such as the Kaiser now found the United States, would at once and international law, the right himself in, had issued his Berlin" demand that England lift the to soaroh such shipe, to seize ships and Milan decrees. to which embargo on foodstuffs. This was or cargo, or both, udder proper allusion has deen made. disclosed when the British, reserves belonged to the Germans, The, moral effect of this Gar having asized the Wilheming, but they contended that the fact man declaration anmistakably bound for Germany with grain, that British shipa were using the injured German prestige the Amorica was informed Germany American flag and merchant world over. The very desper would rescind her declaration if ships had been "armed to ateness of the policy adopted, was America would protest the destroy submarizes made such interpreted as disclosing internal search dangerous, as the nature weakness which served to coun In substance Germany, now of the submarine would make it tarbalance all the splendid vie conceding that her own life might diffenlt.⠀

Stories of February. While Berlin be in danger, told the world that The situation of the neutrals, celebrated Hindenburg'a ner her necessities put her beyond and of the United States in par- triumphs in the Meurian Lake international law and indicated ticular, was complicated by the region, London, Paris, and Petro- to them the way that they should foot that the British passenger grad took new courage in Ger- not to escape German menace. Jahips were using the American many's apparent confession of For the United States the way flag; the Lusitania had used the weakness, and Washington looked was to threaten the Allies with a Stars and Stripes at the height of with patent anxiety toward the prohibition of the export of foods this debate. In consequence the new peril, which threatened to and ammunition, which German-American Government addressed draw the country into the world- Americans had vainly asked Con- a note of protest to England, not war despite ite unaffected eager- grees to prohibit, unless the food demanding that the practice beness to remain neutral. To Am embargo were lifted. To this abandoned on any warrant of Bricans it might seem that Ger the United States replied with law, for none existed and the many had deliberately sought to the sharpest note that had come practice was recognised, but embroil neatrals. To Germany's from Washington since the Cleve pointing out the peril it might enemies it did seem that she had and message on the Venezuelan bring to American ships. But confessed weakness,

Beizure.

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