e vessel she
sinks. Her methods of warfare are, therefore, entirely outside the scope
of any of the international instruments regulating operations against
commerce in time of war. The German declaration substitutes
indiscriminate destruction for regulated capture. [Cheers.] Germany is
adopting these methods against peaceful traders and non-combatant crews
with the avowed object of preventing commodities of all kinds, including
food for the civil population, from reaching or leaving the British
Isles and Northern France.

Her opponents are therefore driven to frame retaliatory measures [loud
cheers] in order, in their turn, to prevent commodities of any kind
[loud cheers] from reaching or leaving the German Empire. [Renewed
cheers.] These measures will, however, be enforced by the British and
French Governments, without risk to neutral ships or to neutral or
non-combatant lives, and with strict observance of the dictates of
humanity. The British and French Governments will therefore hold
themselves free to detain and take into port ships carrying goods of
presumed enemy destination, ownership, or origin. It is not intended to
confiscate such vessels or cargoes unless they would be otherwise liable
to confiscation. Vessels with cargoes which have sailed before this date
will not be affected. [Loud cheers.]

That, Sir, is our reply. [Cheers.] I may say, before I comment upon it,
that the suggestion which I see is put forward from a German quarter
that we have rejected some proposal or suggestion made to the two powers
by the United States Government--I will not say anything more than that
it is quite untrue. On the contrary, all we have said to the United
States Government is that we are taking it into careful consideration
in consultation with our allies.

Now the committee will have observed that in the statement which I have
just read of the retaliatory measures we propose to adopt, the words
"blockade" and "contraband" and other technical terms of international
law do not occur. And advisedly so. In dealing with an opponent who has
openly repudiated all the principles both of law and of humanity we are
not going to allow our efforts to be strangled in a network of juridical
niceties. [Cheers.] We do not intend to put into operation any measures
which we do not think to be effective, [cheers,] and I need not say we
shall carefully avoid any measure which would violate the rules either
of humanity or of honesty. But,