Release date is 2023-01-05

The neutral merchant: three American notes and the answers -- The neutral merchant and the 'freedom of the sea' -- Cotton as contraband of war.

deaurider, Franciszek Skawiński and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)

"The Neutral Merchant" by Francis Taylor Piggott is a discussion on the principles of international law concerning neutrality, contraband, and blockade, written in the early 20th century. The work is rooted in the context of World War I, addressing the implications of British policies regarding neutral merchants amid the conflict and their interactions with both belligerent nations, particularly the United States and Germany. The central theme revolves around the rights and duties of neutral merchants and the extent to which their commerce can be regulated by belligerent actions. The opening of the work serves primarily as an introduction to the complex legal debates surrounding neutral trade during wartime. Piggott outlines the criticism directed towards the British Order in Council issued in March 1915, which aimed to respond to the German submarine threat by limiting neutral trade that could benefit the enemy. He elaborates on the various American protests against this Order, emphasizing the interplay between national interests, legal obligations, and the underlying moral considerations of warfare. Piggott's analysis sets the stage for further exploration of the intricate relationship between trade, law, and global power dynamics during wartime. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Originally published: United Kingdom: University of London Press, 1915