, 1898-05-14

but IS LhcIo any understanding as 10
what is contrabaud Of war
Nobody knows what they are about to
call contraband- it may be amy thing they
please. But whilst the ship cha' eed with
having cOntrnband cargo is waiting to be
adjudioated upon it will be costing the own
ea an enormous amount in expenses OF
maintenance. Then, too, business Will be
Immediately affected by the insecurity Of
transit. Shippers will not face the risk of
having their goods captured. detained, or
forfeited. On these grounds ! think there
will be u considerable disturbance If British
trade IN parts Of the world where the two
Powers are likely to engage III naval opera
tons"
"Do you consider TINT neutral shipowners
will instruct their captains to recognise
letters Of marque issued by either America
or Spain ?"
No; l don't think that ships possessing
letters Of marque would have the hight to
search n%outrnls, nor would it be recognised;
but that is a personal opinion. Slips Of
war, in my view, alone would have the right
to search, and the mel cIantmen recently
tIken over by Spain and the United
States, and fitted out as armed cruisers,
would hy reason Of their speed, render use
tuI service to the respective Powers IN inn
pedng the commerce IF the enemy. Ameri-
ca l8S practically q NAL merchant marine,
though it exceeds that of Spain. English
ship0wners are moro Interested than either
American or Spanish films, for we do so
much Of the carrying trade for both boIligcr-
cnt countries"
"Awkward prccelents may be drawn from
our own actions in the past as to the inter
probation Of the term 'contraband of war
When this country a century ago was all
powerful, we declared what we chose to be
contraband of war, and the neutral Powers
dld not like it at all; but we were so strong
that we could maintain our position. To-day
the situation is exactly reversed. The com
bat0nts are the weak men on the sen, and
the ~neutrals are the strong. 50 | conclude
that the neut,als would be able to folce
my view they agreed to take upon The
belliIerents, and my own anticipation is
that We should have a good many cruisers
about. md both Spain and the UnlIed States
would be somewhat chary about stopping
our ships"
Precisely the same opinion was held by "
manager of another important lime whose
steamers traverse the Atlantic and call at
cooling stations which are Spanish.
1T is Il question for the Government, not
for us declared another gentleman, repre-
s%enting one Of our largest steamship com
panies; but we cannot allow our ships to
be Idle. We must take the risk, but we
shall wait what Lord Salisbury mny have
10 say. When the emergency arises we
shall grapple with it; and you may be as.
surrd that the Government are we'll Informed
Of the situation.'
Meanwhile, though s~hipowners have not
been blind to the possibilities Of war, they
have not taken any initiative through The
Chamber Of Shipping, or has the matter yet
come before the Shipowners' Society. Up
to yesterday-and even then the hope was
not absolutely dismissed-peace was not
considered impossible. The changes which
have come about in naval warfare render it
extremely difficult for practical men, who
have 0ut-of- date historical precedents only
to guide them, to interpret The difficult
problems Of international law; but in con-
v~ersatiOn with representative men it was
assumed that coal would be declared
contr0band Of war, and that in that event
there would be great imducement to block
ade runners to keep Tcncriffe we'll sup
piled, though America should establish an
effective blockade. The Cape boats, which
now coal in the Grand Canaries, might easily
call at o Portuguese ihland-MadeirO-rather
than at q Spanish port. Then, too, it is
assumed that The direct steamers plying be-
tween New York and the Cape under the
English h1g would not be intolfered with