The United States has sent a Note to the British
Govern- ment which is described as a legal caveat on behalf of those American. whose cases are about to be tried by British Prize Courts. The United States Government announce that they "will insist upon their rights under the principles and rules of International Law, as hitherto established, governing neutral trade in time of war without limitation or impairment by Orders in Council or other municipal legislation by the British Government, and will not recognise the validity of Prize Court proceedings taken under restraints imposed by British municipal law in derogation of the rights of American citizens under International Law.
The Washington correspondent of the Times says that the chief American objections to our methods are that our blockade is not effective and that cotton is not contraband. He advises that cotton should be declared contraband, and indicates an American precedent, for cotton was withheld from China by the United States as a warlike material after the Boxer rebellion. The United State. will shortly send another Note to Britain protesting against the blockade of Scandinavian coasts.
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