Mr. Polk’s reference to the blacklist recalls an episode which in itself illustrates the changed character of the relations that had now been established between the American and the British governments.  Mr. Balfour discussed shipping problems for the most part with Mr. Polk, under whose jurisdiction these matters fell.  As one of these conferences was approaching its end Mr. Balfour slightly coughed, uttered an “er,” and gave other indications that he was about to touch upon a ticklish question.

“Before I go,” he said, “there—­er—­is one subject I would—­er—­like to say something about.”

Mr. Polk at once grasped what was coming.

“I know what you have in mind,” said Mr. Polk in his characteristically quick way.  “You want us to apply your blacklist to neutrals.”

In other words, the British hoped that the United States, now that it was in the war, would adopt against South America and other offenders those same discriminations which this country had so fiercely objected to, when it was itself a neutral.

The British statesman gave Mr. Polk one of his most winning smiles and nodded.

“Mr. Balfour,” said Mr. Polk, “it took Great Britain three years to reach a point where it was prepared to violate all the laws of blockade.  You will find that it will take us only two months to become as great criminals as you are!”

Mr. Balfour is usually not explosive in his manifestations of mirth, but his laughter, in reply to this statement, was almost uproarious.  And the State Department was as good as its word.  It immediately forgot all the elaborate “notes” and “protests” which it had been addressing to Great Britain.  It became more inexorable than Great Britain had ever been in keeping foodstuffs out of neutral countries that were contiguous to Germany.  Up to the time the United States entered the war, Germany, in spite of the watchful British fleet, had been obtaining large supplies from the United States through Holland, Denmark, and the Scandinavian peninsula.  But the United States now immediately closed these leaks.  In the main this country adopted a policy of “rationing”; that is, it would furnish the little nations adjoining Germany precisely the amount of food which they needed for their own consumption.  This policy was one of the chief influences in undermining the German people and forcing their surrender.  The American Government extended likewise the blacklist to South America and other countries, and, in doing so, it bettered the instruction of Great Britain herself.

Though the whole story of the blockade thus seems finally to have ended in a joke, the whole proceeding has its serious side.  The United States had been posing for three years as the champion of neutral rights; the point of view of Washington had been that there was a great principle at stake.  If such a principle were involved, it was certainly present in just the same degree after the United States became belligerent