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Show NEUTRALITY RULES. Senator Hitchcock of Nebraska has introduced a resolution for an inquiry into the shipment of arms and munitions muni-tions of war from the United States to belligerent nations or to Canada. This resolution probably will serve as an opening wedge for a complete investigation in-vestigation of the problems of neutrality. neu-trality. The German government and American Ameri-can citizens of German extraction have complained because England, France and Eussia were able to obtain practically practi-cally all kinds of supplies and munitions muni-tions in this country, while at the same time England was searching ships on the high seas to prevent copper, cotton and other supplies from reaching reach-ing Germany and Austria. There has been much loose talk as to the rights of belligerents and neutrals. As a matter of fact, there is a twilight zone which should be cleared up. It has been the custom for belligerent nations to enforce their own rules with more or less regard to international interna-tional law and custom. The neutral generally has been content to accept as much as it could got without a fight. An investigation by congress is apt to place the matter more clearly before the people. At present much confusion exists in the public mind as to just what this country can insist upon and what it must perforce accept. The United States, as one of tho great powers, has the right to tako a conspicuous con-spicuous part in formulating just rules of neutrality. C'ougressional investigation investiga-tion and action is likely to result in a body of rules to which neutrals generally gener-ally can give their support, aud which will enable them , to obtain better treatment from belligerents than is now accorded. |