Show BL HELD TO BE JUSTIFIED BRITISH ANSWER TO AMERICAN NOTE OF PROTEST REGARDED AS unsatisfactory measure defended as proper regulation concerning only british government and designed to shorten war washington the british reply to the latest american note protesting against the trade blacklist made public tuesday night by the state department denies that rights of neutral traders under international law have been ruthlessly cancelled defines the blacklist measure as a regulation plainly concerning only the british government and british citizens and contends that it Is designed to shorten the war the note falls alls to meet the american demand that the names of amerlean american firms be stricken from the black list but attests to convince the stale department that the british position is just and founded on law it leaves open the door for further negotiation n which is expected to follow the note was subscribed by viscount grey the british foreign minister and was addressed to and transmitted by walter hines page the american ambassador at london A part which atch attracted much cial notice dealt with the subject of 0 peace based on the theory that one american contention had been thai at there exists no military necessity tor for the blacklist that it is unnecessary for the allies to prejudice neutral commerce and that nothing which nap lisp pens in distant neutral countries can influence the result of the great conflict it if that really were the position says the note it is possible that the measures taken by his maje government might be described as uncalled tor for but it is not we may v well ell wish that it were so even though the military situation 0 of the allies has greatly improved there is still a long and bitter struggle in front of them and one which in justice to the principles tor for which they are fighting imposes upon them the duty of employing every opportunity and every measure which they can legitimately use to overcome their opponents |