Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-12-28
No Data at Hand Regarding Seizure
of American Flour.
INSTRUCTIONS OF STATE DEPARTMENT
Consular Agent at Deiagoa Bay to
Gather information.
A COM PLEN ROBLEM

The ascertainment of the facts connected
with the seizure of American -four by Brit
sh warships off the coast of Portuguese
East Africa has been confided TO the
United States consular agent at Lorenzo
Marques. That officer was selected by Mr..
Hollis to look after the affairs of the United
States consulate at Lorenzo Marques dur
ing the time he. Mr.. Hollis, is discharging
the DUTY of United States consul at Preto-
ria. Mr.. Hollis has reported TO the State
Department that the consular agent is a
thoroughly capable official and may he
trusted to look after American interests.
Under the instructions sent to him by Sea-
retary Hay yesterday he will ascertain all
of the facts connected with the seizure Of
the flour, and particularly the names OF
the persons to whom the -four con-
signed, and the actual ownership Of the
goods.
State Department Has No Facts.
The Department of State is determined
to do everything proper to maintain Amer
lean rights in the matter of neutral trade
in this case. But so far, the department
is in absolute ignorance of many essential
facts regarding the seizures. ana cannot
proceed to make any complaint until it has
made sure of its ground.
1t does not even KNOW tIl3l an VI inc IIpltt
was seized, as was at first reported. and
there is reason to believe that in the case
of at least one consignment the flour was
not seized, but was simply diverted to an
other port than Lorenzo Marques. and
there left subject to the disposition Of its
owners.
Although this may also be a breach of
neutral privilege. it presents a different
case entirely from a seizure outright.
To determine with accuracy all Of the
oil T, hp "a on pf n
protest against a seizure of the kind re-
ported necessarily consumes much time,
and the State Department. following the
usual course, cannot be expected to act
otherwise than in the line indicated.
Our Course During sranisE, War
During out late war with Spain wherever
a seizure was made by our warships of d
merchant vessel laden with supplies intend
ed for Spanish ports We politely informed
foreign powers which undertook TO protest
that they would be obliged to wait the
usual and regular action Of our prize courts
Thus when French ship was towed into
Charleston, notwithstanding the represen-
tation made by the French government
our government insisted on carrying out ali
of the routine proceedings of a prize trial
In one of the cases growing out of that
particular seizure 1t was nearly two years
before the parties claiming to be aggreved
tained final decision of the case by the
Supreme Court of the United States.
Complex Problem.
Yet this case was simplicity itself COM
pared with the legal problems presented in
the stOppage of British merchant ship by |
a British man-of-war, and the search of a
neutral cargo for contraband of war
These facts are set out by the officials of
the State Department as explanation of
the reason why the department has so far |
not yielded to the clamor of a certain eIe- |
ment for i1l-considered and hasty action in |
the case of these reported seizures off Del |
agoa bay.
The Vessels Seized.
The press reports indicated that the ships |
seized were the British vessels Beatrice |
and Mashona and the Maria, flying the flag |
Of Holland All three carried cOnsignments |
of flour and other provisions belonging to |
Americans and consigned to firms in Del |
agoa bay. officers of the British cruiser |
making the seizure claimed that the pro- |
visions We're for the Beers, and therefore
contrab band.