Lord Granville has written a very good circular to Her
Majesty's diplomatic and consular representatives in Germany, in answer to the assertion that we are not properly observing our neutrality by selling horses, coal, and munitions of war to France under circumstances not giving Germany equal advantages. Great Britain is asked, he said, not merely to forbid, but to take measures absolutely to prevent, the export of all articles contra- band of war,—that is to say, that she should take upon herself to decide the very delicate point what is contraband of war, and keep such a watch upon her ports as to make the export of such articles impossible. Lord Granville shows how absurd this demand is, and how contrary to the claims always made by neutral Powers (for instance, by America quite recently through the mouth of the Secretary of State); and how utterly inconsistent, moreover, with the policy of Prussia herself, who, during the Crimean war, exported arms and munitions of war quite freely to Russia, and also allowed Belgian manufactures of the same kind to find their way to Russia through her territory. It is curious how very different a standard
of neutrality is usually set up by a State when acting the part of a neutral from when it is acting the part of a belligerent. But there is something rather childish about these complaints of con- duct which you have before defended and pursued. They give an impression of sensitiveness and feebleness, without doing the slightest good.
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