Omaha daily bee., 1899-12-29
ABOUT THE FLOUR SEIZURE
state Department Trying to Learn All
the Facts First-An Unusual
situation.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 2s.-The task OF as
certaining facts connected with the seizure
Of American -four by British warships of
the coast Of Portuguese East Africa, has
been confded to the United States consular
agent at Lourenzo Marquee. This officer was
selected by consul Hollis to look after the
affairs of the United States consulate at
Lourenzo Marquee during the time he, Hol-
lis, was discharging the duty Of United states
consul at Pretoria. Hollis has reported to
the State department that the consular agent
Is a thoroughly capable official and may be
trusted to look after American interests at
Lourenzo Marquee. Under the instructions
sent to him by Secretary Hay yesterday he
will ascertain all of the facts connected with
the seizure Of the -four and particularly the
names Of the persons to whom this -four was
consigned and the actual ownership Of the
goods.
The Department of State is determined to
do everything proper to maintain American
rights in the matter of neutral trade in this
case. But so far the department is in abso-
Lutte ignorance OF many essential facts re.
garding the seizures and cannot proceed to
make any complaint until it has made sure
of it's ground. 1t does not even know that
all of the flour was seized, as was at first re-
ported, and there is reason to believe that
in the case of at least one consignment the
-four was not seized, but was simply diverted
to another port than Lourenzo Marquee, 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 ele-
ments necessary to the preparation Of a pro-
test against a seizure of the kind reported
necessarily consumes much time and the
State department, following the usual course,
cannot be expected to act otherwise than in
the line indicated. During our late war
with Spain wherever a seizure was made by
our warships OF a merchant vessel laden
with supplies intended for Spanish ports we
politely informed foreign powers which un-
dertook to protest that they would be obliged
to wait the usual and regular action OF our
prize courts. Thus, when a French ship was
towed into Charleston, Notwithstanding the
representation made by the French govern
ment, our government insisted on carrying
oft all of the routine proceedings of a prize
trial. In one of the cases growing out OF
that particular seizure it was nearly two
months before the parties claiming to be
aggrieved by the seizure and detention of
the ship, secured a final decision of the case
by the supreme court of the United States.
Yet this case was simplicity itself compared
with the legal problems presented in the
stcppage of a British merchant ship by a
British man-of-war and the search Of a neu-
trail cargo for contraband of war.
Theee facts are set out by the officials OF
the State department as an explanation of
the reason why the department has so far
not yielded to the clamor Of a certain ele-
ment for i'll -considered and hasty action in
the case of these reported seizures off Della
goa bay.