An English steamship, the "Wimbledon", was time-chartered by a French company, , which was based in Paris. According to the terms of the charter, the vessel had taken on board at Salonica 4,200 tons of munitions and artillery stores consigned to the Polish naval base at Danzig. On 21 March 1921, "Wimbledon" arrived at the Kiel Canal, but the Director of Canal Traffic refused permission to pass through by basing his refusal upon the neutrality orders issued by Germany in connection with the Russo-Polish war. The French Ambassador at Berlin requested the German government to withdraw the prohibition and to allow "Wimbledon" to pass through the Kiel Canal, in conformity with Article 380 of the Treaty of Versailles. The German government replied that it would not allow a vessel with a cargo of munitions and artillery stores consigned to the Polish Military Mission at Danzig to pass through the canal, as the German Neutrality Orders prohibited the transit of cargoes of this kind destined for Poland or Russia, and Article 380 of the Treaty of Versailles was not an obstacle to the application of such orders to the Kiel Canal. The telegraphed to the captain of the S.S. "Wimbledon", ordering him to continue his voyage by the Danish Straits. The vessel weighed anchor on 1 April and, proceeding by Skagen, reached Danzig, its port of destination on 6 April; it had been detained for eleven days, and had taken two extra days for its deviation.