The Neutral Merchant

The Neutral Merchant is a legal treatise that examines the rights and responsibilities of neutral merchants during wartime. The book was written in response to the British Order in Council of March 11 1915 which established a naval blockade of Germany. The Order in Council prohibited neutral ships from carrying goods to or from German ports even if those goods were not contraband of war. Piggott argues that the Order in Council is illegal and violates the rights of neutral merchants. He contends that the Order in Council is too broad and that it does not distinguish between contraband and non-contraband goods. The Neutral Merchant was a controversial book when it was first published. It was praised by some for its legal analysis but it was also criticized by others for its pro-neutral stance. The book remains an important legal text on the subject of neutrality and maritime law.