Daily inter mountain., 1900-01-12
Reply OF England as to
Seizures Of Food.
GOODS ARE CONTRABAND
4
Only When Consigned to the Enemy's
FOrce-ThiS Decision Sustains the
Position Taken by the Officials s0f
-. &c
the United States. o.

Washington, Jan. 1.-THE answer rof
! the British government to Mr.. Choates
, representations respecting the seizure bf
. American flour and other goods on the
three vessels, Beatrice, Mashona and Ma
ria, has been received. Just as the off,
cfals of the state department. expected, it
amounted to partial answer. very satis-
factory as far as it goes, disposing of the
character OF some Of the goods seized but
not finally deciding broadly whether or
rot foodstuffs are to be regarded as con-
traband.
The British government adopts precisely
the point of view regarding the seized
goods that was assumed by the state de-
partment and embodied by Mr.. Choate in
his note on the subject addressed to the
British foreign office. In brief, Mr..
Choate reports as follows: That the ans
wer is highly satisfactory, that is in
broad terms. The position assumed by
the British government is that foodstuffs
in transit to hostile destination can be
regarded as contraband of war only when
they are supplies for the enemy's forces.
1t is not sufficient they are capable of be-
ing used for the benefit Of the enemy. It
must be shown that they are SO in fact
by their destina ton at the time of seiz-
claim that any Of the American goods on
the German bark Maria and the British
bark Mashona were contraband of war.
The British government is Investigating
the facts in connection with the goods
sezed on the third vessel the Beatrice.
MIR. Choates message embodied sue
cinctly the authorities relied upon by the
British government to sustain it's position
and as this position, as already stated is
one of those already assumed by the state
department, of course they are regarded
as convincing. For this reason Mr..
Choate's message is long and it was near
ly noon before it could be deciphered and
placed in Secretary Hays hands. 1t 50
happened that Lord Pauncefote, the Brit
ish ambassador, was with the secretary
shortly after he received his message and
probably the subject was discussed by
them. It is certain that both the secre-
tary and Lord Pauncefote appeared to be
gratified at the progress being made to-,
ward a settlement of the case. Nothing
was said Directly in Mr.. Choate's original
message, nor in a supplementary message
which came later, explanatory of the pre-
ceding message, touching release of the
seized goods, but, of course, fair In
ference from the statement that the goods
on two of the vessels had been found to
be not contraband is that they are or will
be released. If any question arises as to
compensation to the owners on account
of these seizures that can BE- adjusted
later on. 1t is probable, however, that
the British government will not wait for
any further hint, but Will voluntarily
make such amends as seems to be fair.
1t is believed the uncertainty as to the
character of the cargo of the Beatrice
is based on imperfect knowledge of the
ownership of the goods. The American
consigners, however, evidently appre-
hending that doubt might exist on that
point, have. come forward with the posi-
tive statement that they have not been
paid for the goods shipped and that the
drafts drawn by the consignees in South
Africa were not collectable until the
goods We're safely delivered at their des-
tination.
Mr.. Hopkins, the legal representative
here of one of the largest firms concern
ed in the ownership of the goods, was at
the state department to-day to discuss
the matter with the officials.
The next step will be the collection of
data by the state department and by the
British foreign office to fully establish
the character of the goods .on the Bea-
trice and it is not expected that there will
in the meantime be any further deliver
les by the British government upon the
general subject of the contraband char
acter of fOOdStuffs.