The Search of Neutral Mails
The vigorous protest made by the United States against British interference with American mails in American or other ships should be read in the light of the undisguisedly pro-Ally sentiments expressed by Mr. Cordell Hull in a state- ment made last Saturday, ten days after the mails protest had been dispatched, and of the attitude adopted by the United States itself as a belligerent in the last war. In the matter of the mails what is objected to is the practice of examining mails on American and other neutral vessels which are required to call at British control bases for con- traband purposes. But various notes by Mr. Lansing, Sec- retary of State in 1918, defending precisely this examination of neutral mails by the American authorities, are extant and can be cited if necessary. Great Britain put herself in a strong position in regard to contraband in this war by adopt- ing bodily at the outset the American contraband-list opera- tive in the last war. We seem to be following American precedent equally closely in the matter of the examination of mails. The discussion of the question is therefore unlikely to be embittered—provided there are no unnecessary delays.
Previous page
