the seizure by Russia of neuter shipping in the Red Sea, as well asin other waters, hax led to an interesting aod animated discussion in the United States as to what constitutes contraband. The American, British, and Russian views are compared and commented on, and as we said some time ago, the urgent need for definite understanding is insisted on by all who take up the question, 'The Detroit "Free Press," after drawing attention lo the fact that while Russia has backed down' as far as the Malacca is concerned, 'd_promized satisfaction in other cases, be proved that she has mate wrongful seizures, the qu stion of her rights, and of the rights of neutrals, are as much in doubt. as ever. Wo give the following brief extract from its columns The obvious nee is defining once and for all what cmstitutes contraband of war, and the status of neutral ships engaged. in the transportation th: roof. The rapid development of international commerce has made imperative change whereby the rights aud_linbil of maritime interests shall be snore clearly defined, and the situation is daily becoming more critical. Any attempt to adopt a rule intended as inviolable would be foredoomed to failure. Complications will continue to arise, as conditions undergo the changes attendant upon the passing of time and the evolution that commerce ix constantly experiencing. But the danger from this source should be reduced to the lowest possible point, and that before the act of sume rash belligerent in taking long changes results in irreparable injury, The " Evening Bulletin" of Phil.delphia, under the heading of "Upholding Amer ican Rights," refers to the subject in the following energetic terms The American principle regarding the rights of neutral trade when war ex's's between two Powers is admirably laid down in the circular written by Secretary Hay, which has just been made public. 'This declaration, while couched in the polite terms of diplomacy, effec' ually refutes the Russian assumption of the right 1 coal, cotton, food and animals for civilian use, and consigned to non-blockaded Japanese ports, as coutraband of war, and, therefore, liable to seizure ox destruction. Tue theory mulgated by the St. Petersburg Gover ment, if accepted would, as Mr. Hay points out, tend to prohibit all' commerce by neutral nations with a belligerent Power. Is logical effect would be to prevent the United States from shipping goods of any sort to the ports of another country which was at wat, Such a doctrine is iui accordance neither with justice nor common s-nse. It assuredly cannot receive the acquiesce neo of a nation whose exports, sent to all quarters of the globe, have now reached an annual total of nearly one ud a half.
The " Chicago Herald" has a long interesting leading article on the sime phase of the question, a part of which we reproduce as follows Who State Department is well advised if, as reports from Washing'on indicate, it is taking special pains to, obtain the cts in regard to the loses Awnerican shippers by the suking of the British steamship Knight Commander and the seizure of the German steamship Arabia. Neither of these vessels, of course, was under the American flag, but in the case of the craft which the Russians summarily sent to the bottom, a large part of the freight destroyd consisted of American goods. As for the Arabia, although a German. vessel, she was engaged in a voyage from Portland, Oregor, to Japan, carried a large amount of American road material and flour—neither of which according to the principles proclaimed by the United States Government, can justly be regarded as contraband, unless it is clearly shown that they were designed for the use of the military forces "f Japan With Great Britain's emphatic protest against the sinking of the Knight Commander and her alleged demand that full apology and reparation should be made this country is hot exp-cially concerned since the affront to the British flag and the ess of the vessel itself is riv business of ours. Whatever action we may take with respect either to the Knight Commnsnder or the Arabia should be taken independently. With regard to.the former vessel, it now seems impossible to say whether she actually carded contraband or not. Even if she did, assuming that the Amer-jew merchandise in her hold was not of this description, this country would appear to have valid claim for damages against Russia fur sending it to the bottom of the sea.
The announcement that the Russian Prize Court at Viadivostock had decided confiscate as contraband the American flour and railway materials ce Tuprnese firms and forming p-r caro of the steamer Avabin, recently seized by Ru sian warships near the Japanese coast, is louked xt askance by many of the leading papers in the States. They do not like it; however, the tone of the di-cussion is a temperate and paciticrtory one.
The " Evening Bulletin " of Philadelphia makes the following reference to the subject in its leading article Just what action the Administration ix prepared to regard to this matter cumins to be ascertained, Bat undoubt diy rely on popular support if it dull maintain with firmness the american doctrine that shipments of fond from this country, unless it can be plainly shown that they are designe! for the military or naval use of a belligerent, must not be regarded as contraband. ' Whatever representations are wade to Russia should be of temperate and friendly nature. But there ought to be no surrender of this sane and just principle. The United States has never denied that the ships of a belligerent power have the right to stop and search either American merchant vessels or vessels laden with Ameri merchandise. Bat it has contended tha in justice to its own interests this nation cannot submit to have the food exports which constitute ao large a proportion of its outward-bound commerce seized or destroyed where they are billed to civilian consignees, with' no proof that they are intended to feed an army. This position is not inspired by any hostility to Rassia for when the British, during the South African war, seized American our sent Delag-a Bay on the allegation that it was tended for the Boers, this country politely but firmly protested. As a result the goods thus taken were paid for When it is ree-lied that our exports of agricultural staples, including raw cotton, amount in value to almost one billion dollars yearly on the average, the importance of insisting on the principle that our commerce shall be unhampered is manifest. Tt is the business of the Administration at Washington to protect American rights in no spirit of unfefendliness towards any other country, but with full recognition of th" necessity of preventing the establishment of precedents which might cost American shippers enormous and irretrievable loss in the future.
The following short extract is from the Chicago Chronicle"
The Viadivostock dispatch relative to the decision of the prize court in the matter of the cargo of the Arabia is not so explictas it might be, It states Uhal the court held that a quantity of flane and railroad equipment consigned) to Japanese ports was contraband of war dered i's confiscation, but it does this part of the anyo was mnsigued to agents of the Japynese Go-lent and was destined for military uso. Here lies the vital point. The United StaiesGoveramont in common with Great Britain and other Powers, except Russia, admits that footstufis are contraband if intended for the military or navel use of a belligerent, but not if intended for the usa of non-combatants. This country insists that foodstuffs shall not be fronted as contraband unless evidently into: ded for military use. It may be disposed to apply the same rule to railroad material. Such material for use in Japan, which is a long way from the theatre of actual hostilities, can hardly be contraband in the proper sense of word. We shall have to await further information as to the decision of the Viadivostock court before we can judge whether the Government at Washington will accept it.
'The announcement Jately made that the Russian Government had selected officers for the ships of the much-discusse Bal'ic flee', with a view o its dispatch to the Far East, is thus commented on by the "Evening Bulletin" of Philadelphia Accounts differ as to the degree of forwardness which has beau reached in the preparation of the armada, Rustin is always secretive about the work done in her arson Is and shipy rds, and she would assuredly not be likely t> publish the facts in the present instance until she was ready todo so. Nevertheless it seems certain that the Muscovite Government—does intend as soon as possible, to atart all towards the Far East a formidable fleet of battleships, cruisers and torpedo oral, accompanied by a number of colliers to sopply the fuel which this nzray of vous will need on their voyage. The Czar him. self has visited the Cronstadt yards. ropeatedly in order to encourage the con-Stroctions and workmen, and everything points to Russin's reliance on the Baltic ficer as an important factor. That the task of sending these ships to Asiatic waters is difficult must be admitted. Yet in the estimation of many naval experts it is by no means impracticable, given ample financial resources, of which Russia has no lack. The question then arises as to the specific destination of the fleet, wher
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.