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Show SEN JOKE SMITH ASSAILS BRITISH Rights of U. S Citizens and Other Neutral Nations Trampled Under Foot. FIGHT FOR COTTON Germany Not Using Cotton for War Munitions Wood Pulp Cheaper and More Effective. Washington, Jan. 20. Great Britain's Brit-ain's interference with neutral trade was the subject of a vigorous and exhaustive ex-haustive speech in the senate today by Senator Hoke Smith of Georgia, who pleaded for action to prevent England from advancing her own trade at tho expense of the United States while attempting to destroy Germany commercially. Senator Smith declared tho rights of citizens of the United States and other neutral nations were being recklessly reck-lessly disregarded and emphasized particularly what he denounced as Great Britain's lawless treatment of America's cotton trade. Cotton Contraband. Discussing tho action of the allies In proclaiming cotton as contraband, tho senator said cotton had not been used, or needed, by Germany or her allies in the manufacture of war munitions mu-nitions for more than eight months. Ho quoted from a statement prepared for him by Howard W. Bible, now in Washington after a trip to Germany, who reported that he had learned through personal investigation that Germany had developed a process for using wood pulp as a cheaper and more effective substitute for cotton in the manufacture of explosives, history of Trade Interference. Senator Smith, reviewed the history of interferences with trade and diplomatic diplo-matic exchanges on the subject. He called silly and untrue statements state-ments that the United States made Cotton contraband during the civil war, declaring that only once before in the Russo-Japanese war had cotton been declared contraband and It was done by Russia, which promptly prompt-ly gaev way on protest from Great Britain that the action was illegal. British authorities were quoted also to iprove that under International law foodstuffs are subject to seizure only when consigned to armed forces of an enemy.' Rights Trampled Under Foot. "Shall wo quietly continue to furnish fur-nish Great Britain what she is compelled com-pelled to obtain from tho United States while the commercial rights of citizens of this country are trampled under foot?" asked " the senator. "Great Britain cannot continue the war without munitions from the United Uni-ted States. Great Britain cannot feed her population without foodstuffs from the United States and other neutrals. neu-trals. Great Britain cannot keep people peo-ple engaged in Lancashire mills at work slzly days without cotton from the United States. "Great Britain cannot accomplish her scheme for world-wide domination of commerce in her vast products of cotton manufactured fabrics without calling upon tho United States. Tho administration has forcefully brought to the attention of Great Britain the rights of citizens of this country It has been demonstrated that citizens of neutral countries have the right to ship foodstuffs and cotton in unlimited un-limited quantities through the neutral neu-tral ports of northern Europe to the non-combatant inhabitants of German and Austria. Congress Sleeps on Job. "The congress of tho United Stales slept over the rights of shippers of foodstuffs last winter. This was perhaps per-haps 'because the prices were good, perhaps because we did not investigate investi-gate tho subject. The lawlessness of Great Britain has increased since the last twelve months Each day brings now evidence of disregard for neutral neu-tral rights. "By firmness, but peacefully, neutrals neu-trals can easily obtain their rights from both belligerents "Paraphrasing the language of Mr Jefferson, England may feel the desire de-sire of absorbing the commerce of Germany and of starving her people, but she can have no rights of doing it at our loss or of making us the instrument of it " Referring to a statement made by Sir FInlay to their parliament in 1911 that "no country however powerful would incur the displeasure and possible pos-sible hostility of such a power as the United States by putting forward an unfounded claim to treat food brought to Great Britain as contraband of war," Senator Smith added. U. S. Submitting to Indignities. "I wonder what he thinks of the United States now, when we submit, not only to the seizure of vessels destined des-tined to German ports carrying foodstuffs, food-stuffs, but to the seizure of vessels destined to neutral ports of Holland and Sweden and permit Great Britain, Brit-ain, disregarding rules of international internation-al law by orders from the privy council, coun-cil, to confiscate cargoes of foodstuffs food-stuffs belonging to citizens of the United States with no proof whatever what-ever that they were Intended for tho military or naval forces of Germany? "Germany aud Austria havo a population pop-ulation of over 110,000,000 poople. It Is estimated perhaps 10 per cent of these aro undor arms Certainly more than 1)0,000,000 people in -these two countries aro non-combatants. By cery rule of international -law citizens citi-zens of the United States have the right to ship to these non-combatants for their use, through the neutral ports of northern Europe all the foodstuffs food-stuffs they wish to buy. The name Is equally true of raw cotton." |