AMERICA AND BRITAIN.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXV, Issue 9055, 27 January 1915, Page 5

AMERICA AND BRITAIN.

DISCUSSION IN U.S. SENATE

■MR BRYAN DEFENDS GOVERN-

MENT'S POLICY

NEW YORK, January 26

Senator Stone, representing Missouri, where there is a large German population, adversely criticised the Government's partiality towards the Allies. ' ~ i • ■ • . Mr Bryan, ia a lengthy reply, defended the censorship of wireless as against cable communication.. The former was usable by warships at sea, making neutral, territory a possible, base of naval operations. He denied discrimination in trade in contraband. Some doctrines bearing harshly on neutrals were the outgrowth of the policy of the United.; States, when she 1 was a belligerent;.' Moreover, Britain's control of the sea made it tho duty of ■ belligerents, not neutrals, to prevent contraband reaching tho enemy. The United States in tho t!past had placed an embargo on articles'useful in the manufacture 1 of ammunition, and could not without embarrassment deal with the seizure of. copper, although vigorous representation had been made to secure its release. It'also ■ was .difficult to argue against the inclusion of-petrol, rubber, and wool as contraband. America had-no power to prevent the sale of ammunition to belligerents. Mr Bryan refuted conclusively the sale of huge quantities of dum-dums to Britain. The Government disapproved of a war loan as inconsistent with neutrality ; also, the removal of money might embarrass the Government in case it needed to borrow.