The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-12-29
Time Necessary 10 Investigate Sci
zure of American Flour.
GOVERNMENT WILL ACT
RIGHTS OF THE OWNERS WILL
BE PROTECTED.
United States Consul at Lourenzo
Marquee Has Besn Instructed by
State Department to Gather ALI
Information Regarding the Ac-'
ton of the British Warships.

Washington, Dec. 2S.-The ascertain
ment of the facts connected with the
seizure OF American -four by British
warships of the coast of Portuguese
East Africa has been confided TO the
United States consular agent at Lou
reno Marquee. This officer was Sc
lected by Mr.. Hollis to look after the
affairs of the United States consulate
at Lourenzo Marquee during the time
he (Nr. Hollis) was discharging the
duties of United States consul at Pre-
toria- Mr.. Hollis has reported to the
state department that the consular
agent is n thoroughly capable official
and may be trusted to look after Amer
lean interests at Lourenzo Marquee.
Under the instructions sent to him by
Secretary Hay yesterday he will ascer-
tain all of the facts connected with the
seizure of the flour, 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 neu-
trail trade in this case. But so far the
department is in absolute ignorance of
many essential facts regarding the
SclHufcS, anu cannot pfOCteQ TO Tl-ke
any complaint until it has made sure
of its ground. 1t does not even know
that all of the flour was seized, as was
at first reported. and there is reason to
believe that at least one consignment
was not seized, but was simply divert
ed to another port than Lourenzo Mar
quez, and there left subject to the dis
position of its owners.
Presents Different Case.
Although this may also be breach
of neutral privilege, it presents diff
ferent case from a seizure. To deter
mine with accuracy all of the elements
necessary to the preparation of a pro-
test against seizure of the kind re-
ported necessarily consumes much time.
and the state department. following the
usual course, cannot be expected to do
otherwise than the line indicated.
During our late war with Spain,
wherever a seizure was made by Gus
warShipS of merchant vessel laden
with supplies intended 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 a French ship was towed
representation made by the French Cow
eminent, our government insisted on
carrying out all of the routine proceeds
ings of prize court.
During Spanish War.
: In one Of the cases growing out of
that particular seizure it was nearly
two years before the parties claiming
to be aggrieved by the seizure and de-
tention of the ship secured final de-
cision 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 stop
page of a British merchant ship by
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 an explana-
ton of the reason why the state de-
partment has not yet so far yielded to
the clamor of a certain element for ILL
considered and hasty action in the case
of these reported seizures off Delagoa
bay.