THE QUESTION OF
CONTRABAND
The selling of arms, ammunition and
army supplies, by our citizens to the
warring nations, has provoked much
discussion. All the disputants agree
that such articles are contraband of
war. The real question at issue Is:
Should this republic, as a neutral na
tion, permit its citizens to sell the bel
ligerents such supplies? This article
presents, Impartially, the arguments of
both sides, and leaves the render to
draw his own conclusions.
Ought the United States, as a neutral
nation, to permit its citizens to sell
contraband of war to the belligerents
in Europe?
This question 1ms three aspects—
legal, economic, moral. With regard to
the legal aspect, both law and prece
dent are clear. We cannot arm n war
ship nor organize even a part of an
army for one warring nation, without
becoming liable to another. On the
other hand, we may lawfully soil to
belligerents, through the usual chan
nels of trade, all supplies, including
munitions of war. In 1S22, our supreme
court declared: "No neutral state is
bound by nny canon of law to prohibit
the exportation of contraband articles."
The shippers of such articles are usual
ly paid in advance, and tile purchasing
nations stand the risk of capture. A
neutral country becomes involved only
when it deliberately subjects a cargo
Intended for one belligerent to risk of
rapture by another.
The sale of arms is sanctioned not
only by international law, but by pre
cedent. During our civil war, England
furnished the. Confederates with sup
plies. More recently, the kaiser per
mitted the Kmpp company to supply
Huerta with ammunition, even after
we had landed an expedition at Vera
Oru* to prevent the delivery of such
supplies. Indeed, the Krupps and cer
tain other firms in Germany and Aus
tria have grown rich through selling
arms, In times past, to warring nations
Notwithstanding the fact that these
precedents place beyond dispute our
legal right to sell contraband goods,
our neutrality has been challenged at
borne and abroad. Germany lias Issued
a formal protest against our shipment
of arms and ammunition. She main
tains that until we lay an embargo on
the exportation of arms, we are plain
ly favoring the allies. East winter.
Senator Hitchcock of Nebraska Intro
duced In the senate a bill to prohibit
the sale of war supplies to the belliger
ents. The wave of comment that has
followed shows the economic and mor
al aspects of the question to he so min
gled that It Is difficult to separate them
It Is said that the allies have placed
in America orders sufficient to keep
our arms and ammunition factories
busy for the next two and a half years
Our manufacturers are working on 1.
000,000 Vnlforms and 2,000,000 pairs of
slioes. Cartridge-making shops are
running night and day. Thousands of
horses are being bought for cavalry
use. Orders for bulbed wire, machine
guns, and structural steel for fortifica
tions are continually pouring in.
--
It is claimed that all this “proves
the dependence of the nllies on this
country for supplies so great that, were
the material withheld, war could not
last longer than two months;" and that,
accordingly, it lies within our power “to
starve Into silence every rifle, machine
Klin and cannon” of Europe. The Oer
man-American press asserts that
“every dollar that is gained in weapon
traffic Is blood money.” It calls us "a
nation of hypocrites professing to work
for peace, whilo gaining money out of
this hideous trade.” It says our neu
trality is a “dollar neutrality.”
Some of our own congressmen criti
cise our course. Representative Bnr
tholdt holds that “if the supplies should
be out off, hostilities would cease.” He
odds that "such an net is not n viola
tion of neutrality; on the contrary, the
refusal to prohibit the exportation of
arms is In Itself unneutral.” Senator
Works declares: “Innsmuch ns this
country lias done so much towards
supplying the necessities, it will have
to share the responsibility, of the war.”
To all of these forceful arguments,
there have been forceful answers. The
reply has been made to Germany, that
"neither our government nor our peo
ple make any distinction in the sale
of contraband articles. They welcome
the trade of all belligerents, and are
ready to supply all alike. If one side
is unable to avail itself of the offer,
that is its misfortune, and not our
fault.” Indeed, the,, fundamental ob
jection to an embargo is, as Secretary
Bryan stated, that “it would be an un
neutral act. against one party in the
present war and in favor of the other.”
This statement is not denied. Most of
the advocates of the embargo confess
that It would enable Germany to win.
because she is best provided with the
munitions of war. Opponents of the
embargo believe, however, that the
prohibition of the sale of war supplies
would simply prolong the war until the
allies could supply their own munitions,
as Russia Is largely doing now
At all events. Inquire those who op
pose embargo, why should the United
States refuse the Immense trade which
a war for which we are not responsible
has turned to our manufactories? "In
a time of industrial depression,” they
ask, “are we sane to keep our work
men idle when they might be at work?"
The Dupont Powder Company has re
cently announced a twenty per cent In
crease in wages. "Granted that we
might desire a world In which powder
making is absent, are we, in a fit of
idealism, to deny our laborers access to
such prosperity?”
And those who protest against a de
parture from the usage of international
law base their objections on a con
sideration even more vital than that of
immediate profits. "To prohibit the
sale of munitions of war by a neutral
is,” they say, “to offer a premium upon
militarism: it is to encourage a belli
gerently inclined nation to devote its
energies to preparation for war: it is
to discourage the peacefully inclined
from applying all their resources and
activities to the development of those
arts anil industries which tend In the
betterment of mankind, and promote
Individual happiness. It would, for in
stance, compel the United Slates to
manufacture and keep on hand —re
newing in ease of deterioration mil
lion Into an arsenal and, by center
munition. It would convert every na
tlonu Into an arsenal and, by center
ing attention upon military prepara
tion, would become provocative of wart
rather than promotive of peace."
Hence, from the moral standpoint
alone—in behalf of humanlt> at large
and of the progress of the tact (lie
opponents of the embargo maintain
that "the best interests of mankind
will lie subserved by adhering to the
practices long sanctioned by interna
tional law.” -Ragle Magazine
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I DREAM THEATRE
Performance Every Night.
TONIGHT.
SIDNEY DREW
and
JULIA YOUNG
In the roaring Comedy
WHEN WOMEN GO ON THE
WARPATH.
2—Parts—2
Drama
"LEAK IN THE FOREIGN OF
FICE.
2—Parts—2.
MR8. LA CLERQ, Pianist.
ADM. 25c
EAGLE HALL
T0NI8HT
Comedy
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WITH THE FIGHTERS
BALKAN WAR
Educational
KID GLOVES AND THE MAK
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TOTICAL BUDGET.
PROGRESSIVE WEEKLY.
ERNEST BERGGREN, Violin
OLLIE BOURRET, Pianiet
ADMI8SION, 2S oenta
J. R. GRANT
COMPANY
WHOLESALE GROCERS
1106 Weatern Ave. Seattle, Wash.
Outfitter* of Proapectora and
Minera.
AT THE NEW EAGLE.
! Old Lewis Hunter Rye and the Fa
mous Atherton Bourbon whiskeys, Dis
tilled spring 1904-1905, bought in bond
' and oeduoed to 90 per cent, by U. 8.
government by the bot«‘e or gallon.
Instructions in Driving.—Nome Gar
age.
Professional Cards
IRVING M. REED,
U. S. MINERAL SURVEYOR.
Residence Seiffert Flats.
MEETING NOTICE.
THE NOME BARTENDER’S UNION
l-ooftl Rti8, B. I. r,. of A. (Affiliated
with the A. R of I,) meets every first
Sunday in each month u II n. m.
CHAS. SANFORD, Sec’y.
NOW IS THE TIME.
To come in and see us, as the bright
sunny days are coming on. and have
your clothes cleaned, pressed and re
pal', ed.
We make them look like now.
We clean hats.
We make alterations.
We guarantee first-class workman
ship.
W? guarantee modern methods.
We guarantee prompt service.
And wc will appreciate your patron
I age
Wre also make suits to order
NOME TAILORING COMPANY,
Between Segerstrom & Hagen and R. F$
Zehner’s Jewelry Stores.
WE CAN PO IT.
For First class work and prompt de
livery phone Main 151 and the People’s
Steam Laundry will call and get your
i laundry.
W. J. WILLIAMSON, Prop...
__
Mail the Nugget to your friends and
1 help advertise Nome.
S.S.VICTORIA
SAILINGS FOR SEASON 1915.
LEAVES SEATTLE: LEAVES NOME:
JUNE 26TH. JULY 8TH.
JULY 24TH. AUGUST 5TH.
AUGUST 23RD. SEPTEMBER 4TH.
SEPTEMBER 20TH. OCTOBER 1ST.
OCTOBER 18TH. OCTOBER 28TH.
TOURIST STEAMER VICTORIA. . (
Victoria sailing from Nome July 8th, and August 5th, will call at
Unalaska, weather permitting such a call, thence along the southern
shores of the Alaska Peninsula to Seward, Valdez, stopping at the
Columbia Glacier, then to Cordova, remaining long enough for the
passengers to make the trip over the Copper River & Northwestern
Railroad to the Miles and Childs Glaciers leaving Cordova she will
cross the Gulf of Alaska, through the Icy Straits, and Lynn Canal
to Skagway, thence to Seattle through the world famous "Inside
passage” visiting en route Juneau, Treadwell, Taku Glacier and
Ketchikan.
Sailing dates of Freight Steamers from Seattle calling at Nome.
CORDOVA, JUNE 15TH. LA TOUCHE JULY 6TH.
CORDOVA. AUGUST 15TH. LA TOUCHE. AUGUST 15TH
Alaska S. S. Co.
R. A. CARROLL, Agent.
I
I
nwwt U1UTP
j AUGUSTINE & KYER |
! VICTORIA CHOCOLATES \
J BUTTER CRI8P
J CHOCOLATE DELICIEUX J
ROSE j
| Candy Store \
lea Cream and Soda Water. t
WAVAWWWAVWVAVAV
IGbe Angeles jj
FINEST WINES LIQUORS &
CIGARS.
A. 0. OLIVER, Prop. j||
Phone Main 33. < * j
Front St. Opp. Nugget Office. ]>
I GENERAL
HARDWARE jj
DARLING & DEAN |
COMPANY
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA^^^A/
jPl" 1 — 1 ■■ - -■— ■
i ANNAS |
MESS
: Now Open >
J Home Cooking {
l Opp. Lomen Bros.
THE NOME
j Garage
! CARS CLEANED, OILED AND \
\ REPAIRED
> General Bench Work Done t
\ AUTO FOR HIRE. J
R. R. MORRISON j
Proprietor.
4JT«1-CV« • »» -
ELITE HOTEL AND BATHS
Steam Heated. Electric Lighted. The bent service assured guests.
The best hotel to stop at while in town. ~
STEAM AND SHOWER BATHS IN CONNECTION
Moonlight water used throughout. Open all night
con. FRONT AND B STREETS J. M MONAHAN P,op I
BARBER SFIOP with 2 chairs ard other fixtures tor rent at the g
ELITE BATHS. 1
«ear -*■ ■-...i.—a...———eaaar'.JOagMiKIIWWUH
j
I
WATCH THIS SPACE
L— J
NORTH POLE BAKERY
ANVIL BAKERY
BEGINNING MONDAY, JUNE 7TH, THE PRICE OF BREAD
WILL BE 10 CENTS PER LOAF OR THREE LOAVES FOR 25
CENTS. THE SIZE OF LOAVES HAVE BEEN INCREASED
WHICH INSURES MORE AND BETTER BREAD FOR OUR
PATRONS.
CHAS. CAVEY, Prop.
i i
1 SLUICE AAR1!
| STEAM I|\f!
J Hydraulic UvL[
J In large or small |
J quantities at E
I CABLETON & CO. j