THE BLOCKADE PROBLEM

Colonist, Volume LVII, Issue 13996, 28 January 1916, Page 6

THE BLOCKADE PROBLEM

SPEECH Hi' SIR EDWARD GREY

"WE CANNOT GIVE UP OUR

RIGHTS

London, Jan. 26. In the House of Commons, on the blockade question^ Sir Edward Grey said that'tho problem was not so simple a one to deal with as certain papers seemed to think. The figures which these papers had published were grotesque, and the conclusions drawn therefrom had done harm, nota.blv in the case of the United States ; ; wheat export, business. The Foreign Office had to see that the good relations of the Allies with neutrals were maintained.- It was trxie that \vq had'fto look a.'fii.er enr interests first, but w& had no right to injure neutrals. If that w.er« done we should incur the enmity of the whole -world But lie had this "to say to neutrals: We could not give up our righ.li to interfere with enemy tra-de, even though such interference- incon-vpn.ip-u-ed thf'n. He had one main question to ask neutrals: Did; they or uui onev H(.,t: admit, our riglit to apply tho principles of th© 'blockade' of fi!i« American Civil War to this conflict? If they did then the? should make .it easy for us to distinguish. If tlieir a'is\re'r \na-s that we had no rightt to inhf-rfoi-c with neutrals' trade, then \\C had no hesitation in saying tliat they ■wore Kre.akui"; their neutrality -Jfiio. ';answ>?v th*t-would bo sent Ji'.f>:,the la-st :Ainei;ifin Ivote would bo that \y& were; 'cr>n?tt!ting'Frai'ce, and that .qnj-iinswer. woi'Vct'bes&n^i from bot-Vi countries, and Ipossillv'froir. other Allies abo,- If we assrsnt-ed tr> ovorv domnnd of the Inst American NoLc^ it would be inipossibte

I for us to prevent even contraband from being sent into enemy, countries. Wo were quite ready t<o carry out the po!iov of last March in this matter, and, if necessary, would confer with neutrals so as to mako- its- operation as easy as possible for them, but we could not give up our rights.