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Show NOTE TO FRANCE SEEKS RELEASE . HF SIXTEUTONS Seizure of Austrians and Germans by French From American Steamer Is Declared Unlawful VV?UlGTO Deo, 14 The t n ted Hates go -eminent today cabled Embassador Sharp at Paria for presen on to tho French fore gu offi e a note fjoro sly prote t or aga nst the temo a4 bv the French cj 'or Pes I jartes oi ax Cermana and Austnans troni the American steamships Carol ua Uanio and San J an Inimcd ate re loase ot the men is asked on the ground that the seiznre of citizens of niv nat on from an 4.n er can essel on the high seas 1 w thout legal j st f ca tfpa and const tutes a flagrant viola ion of nieri as r ghts The note -was h patched by Verp tary Laos njt nth the full approval of Erei dent Wilson It also 13 understood to ha e been d scnssel by the presi jent with h s cabinet at today s meet mg Coiched In friendly terms the com n cation states the An er can po nt f Mew emphabeally and eites prece Sents employed m the ease of Ai gust Piepsnbrink a Cennan ivho as removed re-moved from the American ship Wind Jer bv the French en ser Conde in tejnber last rear and released after rp sentations "bv the United States No Justification Utent on is directed to the fact that rhe men removed from the sh ps were not n bodied In the armed forces of the nenu as that term is used in the dec taction of London It Is asserted, how Ser hat there is no ju tlflcation for the mo -al of subjects ot a nation w hich an enemy of Prance from an Amer lan vessel on the hlsh seas bound to a fjjfeutral port, even if they could properly he regarded as military persons. To support this position it Is under Stood, the note points to the rule set rown by the French minister of fore gn affairs in a note sent during the CI 11 war to the French minister to the United States in regard to the removal of the confederate commissioners Mason and i dell from the steamship Trent. Th s note ynsidered equallj applicab e to the pres fh situation said he (the Trent) was carrying her argo and her passengers to a neu tral country and moreover she had aken them on in a neutral port If t x were admissible that under such con dltions the neutral flag did not com p etelv cover the persons and mer handise which It Was transporting U mmumty would no longer be anything but an empty word at any time the commerce and navigation of third , rowers would have to suffer from heir 7 harmless or even ind rect relations i with one or the other of the be ger ei ta the latter would no onger be entitled merely to require ent re im partiality of a neutral and to forb d h m from interfering n any way in a e hostilities, but they would place ;on his, Ixeedosk of commerce and na alon Testrletfons- the lawfu ness of wh eh modera international law has efused to admit. May Be Contest i The ext of the American note which fs d to be brief, will be made pubU ben word of ts delivery to the French fore 0n off ce s received by the state department. de-partment. Officials of the state department ap parently think the French government maj bee fit to contest the conten ions of the Cm ted States and that the men wi not Be released until further communications ha e passed between the two governments This opin on s based on the assumpt on that the commander of the Descartes was ac ing in accordance with ns ructions The French embassador here s be ie ed to have been advised of he intentions of fbe In ted States during a conference he d e esterday with Secretary Lansing |