The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-10-27
INSISTS ON RIGHT
OF HALT|NG SHIPS
TO INSPECT CARGO
Sir Cecil Spring Rice Ex-
plains Great Britain's
Attitude.
TO STOP SHIPMENTS
OF WAR C0NTRABAND
Oil Being Sent to Neutral Points
and From Them on to
Belligerents.
IN GREAT DEMAND BY ENEMIES
Emphasizes Ruling That Cotton Is
on Free List and Will RE-
main There.
IN GREAT DEMAND BY ENEMIES
Especial to The Times -pispatch.l

Special TO The Times -Dispatch.l
WASHINGTON, October 2G.-Sir Cecil
Spring Rice. British ambassador, in n
formal letter 20 Acting Secretary of
state Lansing tonight. asserts the in
4 tent or Great Britain to keep on hold
ing up American shipping vcssela at
WILL to determine IL they arc carrying
contrahnnd of war TO the enemy.
At the same time. In another com
inuntcation. the ambassador emphasizes
the ruling of Great Britain that cotton
ic not contraband of war. and that any
huch shipment will be allowed to pass
Sir Cecil discusses the hold-up of the
Standard Oil tank ship Rock kefcller as
an excuse for explaining Great Brit
AIMS attitude. He makes n strong point
rt the shipment OF oil by American
fhips, :aying that large quantities of It
arc In demand by nations of war with
Great Britain for airships and subma-
rines. He emphasizes iha: much OF this
oil is being shipped to neutral points.
ana from them sent on to a belligeren mt
This Great Britain strcnuously OBJ
iccts TO. and Sir Cecil makes II plain
that his country will Insist in each in
stance on finding out If the oil or other
"argo--eSccptlng cotton---is actually in
tended for the neutral poin; 10 which It
Is consigned.
GENERAL ATTITUDE
OF british GOVERNMENT
The amba ssador says
With reference to the case Of the
Rockefeller. I think l, would be op-
fortune were to make some rema rk g
on the general question of contraband
and the attitude of tho British govern
incnt.
/. You are doubtless aware that in the
last few weeks there has been a
marked increase of the export OF GER
tain articles. as compared with previ-
ciS Years. 30 those neutral countries
which are in direct communication w ith
Tho bclliEercnt natio - viii choose
among inany. tile singlc instance Of
mineral oils. and the returns for the
month OF September. Whereas the
Nalne Of United States exports of TIE
principal articles for that month as
compared with September. 1913. have
decreased from S107,000.000 10 $4,000
uop or 30 per cent. the export OF gaso-
lrne. naphthn. ctc has Increased from,
20.no0,o0o to 23.000,000. or - per cent
and Of fuel oil from $4,000. o0o,0ee to
JS.c00.000 gallons. or 81 per cent.
II need not point out that the course
OF tho present war has shown tho i'm
ulensc Importance CT the motor. the
sirship and the submarine. all of which
are consumers of mineral oil. may
add that there is reason to believe
that mineral oil in all its forms may
be used for these purposes, large
/ proportion Of the exports of this coun-
try has been consigned to neutral ports.
and, according TO evidence In our pos
session. has been transmitted from
them to a belligercnt country.
REFERS TO DECISION
OF US. SUPREME COURT
"As you are aware, the Supreme
Court of the United States in 1868 con-
sidcred vessels AS carrying contraband
although sailing from one neutral
port to another, il the goods concerned
land or sea from the neutral port of
landing into enemy territory. 1t then
decided that the character of the goods
Is determined by their ultimate, and
not their immediate. destination. and
this doctrine was Mt the time ac-
Iuiesced in by Great Britain, though
her own trade was the chief sufferer
"On the other hand. thc.neutral coun-
tries concerned were anxious to avoid
being used as bases for either
belligerents, and are now making ar
ransements that Will guarantee that
such goods shall not be reshipped
IN other words. they are anxious to
prevent their ports heing tho back
doors OF either helligereut. When these
arrangements are complete 1t is to be
confidently hoped that trade between
neutrals will be subject to little or no
hindrance.
But It is. of course, essential in the
interests of free and undisturbed trade
D'tWccn neNtTdlS tnat every security
possible should be provided in order
10 enable belligerents to form a speedy
and sure Judgment as to the neutral
destination of goods which may be
used for peaceful or warlikc purposes
PROOF AFFORDED
OF NEUTRAL DESTINATION
I'm the case of the Rockefeller.
which was bound for port in the near
ncighhorhood of the chief naval port
belllEprent. IL 10 toI
was consigned to order, and there was.
therefore, no guarantee that 1t would
not be forwarded to the enemy She
was accordingly detained until proof
was afforded Of the neutral destination
of her cargo, and the intention of
tho neutral government to prevent re-
export.
1T is to be hoped that for the future
adequate precautions will be taken in
order to show the real destination of
goods consigned to neutrals which, IL
transshlrped to belligerent, might be
used for belligerent purposes.
'I may observe in conclusion that al
though the British government have
detained cargoes of'contra ba nd in order
10 make sure that they arc really in
tended for neutral countries, and have
retained some cargoes, such as copper,
destined for Krupps ammunition works,
they have not yet taken single cargo
without paying for 1t, and have allowed
every cargo really destined for neutral
countries, to proceed to its destination
AZ In dwelling upon cotton in his other
letter. the ambassador says:
an compliance with your request
Stelegraphed on the 23d instant
to my government to Inquire what was
their view with regard to cotton and
whether or no they considered IL to be
scontraband. You addressed this qucs-
~ rs Continued .ou Second II,agcl