Show I PLAN TO CUT GUT OFF TRADE ENGLAND PROPOSES TO SEVER SEVER ALL ARTERIES OF COMMERCE TO AND FROM GE GERMANY MA Y Agrees to Lift Blockade in Case Nati Na- Na ti Ships Flying Its Flag Will Not Carry Goods Goods' to Germany London ln In In a formal proclamation signed in council by the king anc and Issued Is is' issued sued from Buckingham palace Great Britain made known to the world on Monday how she proposes to sever all nIl the arteries of sea sea commerce to to and from Germany during the period C e war As in Premier Asquith speech forecasting the order the term blockade blockade block ade is not used and no prohibited area is is' defined Nevertheless the text of the order makes plain England's England's England's Eng Eng- lands land's purpose purpose to to prevent ties of any kind from reaching or leaving leav leave leaving ing Germany during the war British officials frankly called the movement a blockade the fore foreign of or office fice flee describing it as an effective block block- blockade blockade ade differing lifferIng from the the thee e effective bl blockades blockades block block- ck- ck ades of history only 1 h in i that the property property property prop prop- erty seized will not be confiscated outright outright outright out out- right but sold the proceeds eventually eventually eventually ally going to the owners In th the last clause of the proclamatIon proclamation proclamation tion is the proposal most interesting I Ito to neutrals This is a flat fiat agreement to- to lift to-lift lift the blockade In case any nation nation na na- tion will certify that the ships flying Its flag sh shall ll not carry goods to G Germany Ger r many or originating therein or or belongIng be- be belonging belonging be be- longing to the subjects of the German empire It is notable t that a the of er declares S s sno no intention to capture sh ships ps proceed proceed- proceeding ing lag to and from the b countries of Germanys Germany's Germanys Germany's Ger tIer many's alli allies s Austria and ln ru Turkey key the reason being no doubt that the measure measure meas meas- ure tire is avowedly a reprisal against the German submarine warfare However a cordon of ships will be maintained to shut off the commerce of German ports and regulate trade in the warzone war warzone warzone zone although ships voyaging across the Atlantic will it is said b be seized before they reach the North sea a neutral vessel is held up In all cases except where there is a false declaration or other attempt at subterfuge subterfuge subterfuge sub sub- th the cargo only will be seized A copy of the order in council was handed handed to the the American ambassador for transmission to Washington ton |