The Germans committed a questionable raid on some English -colliers
on the Seine, on the 21st December. As far as we can snake out, these colliers had gone up to Rouen with a permit from -the German Government. One account says that, having asked -for a permit to return in ballast, and not haying obtained it, they became tired of waiting, and began dropping down -the river, when the vessels were stopped at Duclair, some -of them fired on, all the men, thirty or upwards in number, turned adrift, without money or lodging, and the vessels tsunk in the stream to bar the French passage. It is, we believe, -maintained that a belligerent has full right to Riese neutral pro- perty in an enemy's country, for war purposes, on paying its value, -and the Germans are said to have paid for these vessels by "requi- sition bonds" on Rouen,—that is, by ordering the French to pay for them. But it is clear that violence towards English sub- jects can be justified by nothing but a flagrant breach of the laws of war, and it is understood that the British Government will at once inquire carefully into all the circumstances, and demand any reparation that seems to be due. Too much, however, must -not be made of events of this kind, from which neutrals have always suffered in war since the world began.
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