UNITED STATES.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 145085, 9 September 1916, Page 3

UNITED STATES.

POSTERING- SHIPPING. " WASHINGTON. Sopt.. 8. President .Wilson signed tho Shipping Bill, authorising tho Government to buy or lca.se ships through a 50,000,009 dollar corporation formed for the purpose. REPRISAL MEASURE DROPPED, .-avw. WASHINGTON,. Sept. 7. Tho Senate House Committee eliminated from tho Revenue Bill the power to refuse the rights of the United States mails, as cabled on September 5. [The cable referred to slated: "The Senate retaliated against the British black list by passing amendments empowering the President, when he believes belligerents are denying their lawful rights to Americans, to retaliate against a belligerent commerce ship which discriminates against American shippers and exporters, also to refuse the rights of the United States mails, telegraphs ami cables to 1 lie citizens of belligerent countries discriminating against Americans.”J CONGRESS ADJOURNS. (Received Sept. 9, 11.35 a.m.) WASHINGTON, Sept, 8.Congress has adjourned until December. President Wilson him signed the Revenue Bill. SIR ROBERT STOUT'S VIEWS OF THE CASE. NAPIER, Sept. 7. Yesterday a. Herald reported called upon the Chief Justice, Sir Robert Stout, with reference to the cable messages which have been received regarding tho attitude of the United States in respect to the British "Black List." Sir Robert Stout was. asked to express an opinion on the resolution which had been passed hy the United States Senate providing for the withholding of clearances pi ships of all belligerents who discriminate against the United States, and authorising tho President to use armed force, if necessary, to prevent the departure of offending vessels. "I understand.” said Sir Robert Stout, "that the ' Black List’ referred to is the list containing the names of certain German firms in the United States, and that the, British Government has prohibited British subject* from dealing with snehTirms, or from importing goods from them. The United Slates Senate apparently desires that if a British ship will not take on hoard goods from Rtieh linns.• that shin will he prevented front leaving the. United States. To my mind this is nothing less than a declaration of war. Lam not aware of any international law or rule which nrcvchts ships from refusing to take cargo from anybody. Take a broad instance: Suppose an American vessel were nt the Napier breakwater, and she was starting.for San Francisco. empty, and the Napier merchants said to her, * As you are going to San Francisco, J ask you to lake on hoard two hundred tons of hides? Could she refuse? It is an unheard of thing that she cannot refuse, yet, according to tho telegrams, a British .ship is not allowed to refuse cargo .offered by a CennaitAtnerican firm in the United States. Tho matter, to my mind, is absurd and ridiculous. I feel sure that tho better class of Americans will say that this is what they call ’ lint air,’ issued hy the American Democratic Party to get German voles in tho impending elections. No nation cun permit itself to be dictated to hy a foreign Power with reference to goods to he carried in its shins. It it allowed litis, it would become a vassal nation, ami its freedom destroyed.” "I think," added Sir Robert Stopt, •‘that our’Government should communicate with Australia, as well ns Britain, at once. 1 should slop, for example, the San Francisco mail service nt oilce. so that our ships .should iml be forced lo carry ‘ Black List’ goods. 1 should aba osk'Australia. to take up the same attitude. Further, all Chambers of Commerce in the Dominion should meet and pass resolutions declaring that sooner than submit to British.shipping carrying ‘Black List’ goods they would cease ordering goods from America. Wo in Now Zealand are importing goods of great value from the United States. This ought to cease instantly, and all onr orders for goods front the United States should ho cancelled. If Britain and her colonics, and Franco and Russia, nil do the same thing, we should hear very little from tho Senate about ‘ Black List’ goods. Here is a nation that has seen the Hague Convention Rules, to winch it has been, a party, snnrncd and abrogated by Germany. She has had her own citizens murdered in more than ■one passenger vessel. She lias witnessed atrocities in Belgium and Franco, against British prisoners in Gcrmanv. and Armenia, and Poland, ami now, been use somo of her citizens, of German extraction, are not allowed to sell goods to Britain, sho threatens Britain with war, for the resolution which has been passed by tho Senate means nothing else. I am amazed at such a resolution being passed. I feel that whatever steps tho Government may take thev will no longer take American goods.. If they aro true 'patriots they will so act.”.