Nelson's history of the war. Vol. XI., The struggle for the Dvina, and the great invasion of Serbia

APPENDIX IIL.

THE BRITISH BLOCKADE POLICY.

(The following statement was issued on January 4, I9I5, as a White Paper.)

1. The object of this memorandum is to give an account of the manner in which the sea power of the British Empire has been used during the present war for the purpose of intercepting Germany's imports and exports.

I. BELLIGERENT RIGHTS AT SEA.

2. The means by which a belligerent who possesses a fleet has, up to the time of the present war, interfered with the commerce of his enemy are three in number :—

(i) The capture of contraband of war on neutral ships.

(ii.) The capture of enemy property at sea.

(iii.) A blockade by which all access to the coast of the

enemy is cut off.

3. The second of these powers has been cut down since the Napoleonic wars by the Declaration of Paris of 1856, under which enemy goods on a neutral ship, with the exception of contraband of war, were exempted from capture. Enemy goods which had been loaded on British or Allied ships before the present war were seized in large quantities immediately after its outbreak ; but for obvious reasons such shipments ceased, for all practical purposes, after August 4,