Note 113 — PART III USAGES OF WAR AS REGARDS NEUTRAL STATES

In the exchange of despatches between England and Germany which arose out of the English deliveries of arms, the English Minister, Lord Granville, declares, in reply to the complaints of the German Ambassador in London, Count Bernstorff, that this behavior is authorized by the preexisting practise, but adds that “with the progress of civilization the obligations of neutrals have become more stringent, and declares his readiness to consult with other nations as to the possibility of introducing in concert more stringent rules, although his expectations of a practical result are, having regard to the declarations of the North-American Government, not very hopeful.” President Grant had, it is true, already in the Neutrality Proclamation of August 22nd, 1870, declared the trade in contraband in the United States to be permitted, but had uttered a warning that the export of the same over sea was forbidden by international law. He had later expressly forbidden the American arsenal administration to sell arms to a belligerent, an ordinance which was of course self-evident and was observed even in England, but he did not attempt to prevent dealers taking advantage of the public sale of arms out of the State arsenals to buy them for export to the French.