NATAL WARFARE. THE LONDON DECLARATION.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXI, Issue 21, 26 January 1911, Page 7

NATAL WARFARE. THE LONDON DECLARATION.

WHAT THE CHANGE INVOLVES, ABANDONING A PRINCIPLE.; COURSES OPEN TO BRITAIN. By Telegrapn.— Press Association.— Copyright, LONDON, 25th January. The Manchester Guardian regards the Declaration of London as unwise. It would mean the abandonment of a principle which England has defended for a century, namely, that the onus of proof as to contraband of war lay with the captor, while the Declaration of London lays the burden on the owner. If the Declaration can be made binding it will be easy to secure the prohibition of the., capture of private property altogether. England has two courses, 'either to ; make the sea in war-time British territory, which will involve enormous cost, ■ or to secure the complete freedom of the i seas to commerce. A -QUESTION FOR THE IMPERIAL CONFERENCE. GERMAN COMMENT. LESSON FROM RECENT MANOEUVRES. LONDON, 25th January. Some of the newspapers announce that the ratification of the Declaration of London will be postponed until the Im- j perial Conference has discussed its pro- j visions. ! The Berlin Post declares that the campaign against the Declaration requires that foreign Powers should reckon with the peril that would arise if ratification were refused, and the old privateering rights reaffirmed. The Post adds that the recent British naval manoeuvres showed that the sacrifice of an enemy's fleet would make possible the almost complete destruction of the British mercantile marine. Such a crippling of the mercantile marine would perpetually jeopardise British supremacy in the shipping trade.