given does not possess all the characteristics of a blockade as defined in authoritative text-books; and that, in particular, it violates the rule which forbids "discrimination" in favour of one neutral as against another.
Now the object of this rule seems clear. It is designed to prevent the blockading Power using its privileges in order to mete out different treatment to different countries; as for instance, by letting ships of one nationality pass the blockading cordon while it captures the ships of another. Such a procedure is, on the face of it, fair. It could have no object but to assist the trade of one neutral as against the trade of another, and arbitrarily to redistribute the burden which war unhappily inflicts on neutrals as well as on belligerents. Now I submit that if there be "discrimination" inflicted by the British blockade, it is not discrimination of this kind. It does no doubt leave the German trade with Sweden and Norway in the same position as the German trade with Holland and Denmark, and in a different position from the German trade with America or
