Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1914-12-31
Thirty-one Ships Bearing
$5,5OO,000 of American
Copper Have Been Seized

WASHINGTON, Dec sL-Thirty-
one ships. bearing 1880 tons of
American copper. worth $500, 900,
destined to neutral nations, have
been detained and their cargoes
seized as contraband since the Euro
pean war began. Senator Walsh, of
Montana, told the Senate today In a
speech reviewing Interruptions 10
American commerce and highly In
dorsing the American governments
recent note to Great Britain.
Four ships were consigned to Hol-
land, fourteen to Italy and thirteen
to Sweden, he said, and at Gibraltar
$3.50 tons OF American copper "havs
been piled up"
After giving statistics to show that
italy and Great Britain were among
the greatest normal consumers of
! copper, Senator Walsh said:
The British government might
well avoid q course calculated to
make 1t appear as an offensive fact.
There Is no sentiment of hostility or
animosity In the United States TO-
ward Great Britain, save in sporadic
cases Of no consequences, in the sum
total of the national disposition. God
grant that our relations may always
remain friendly, The feeling en-
gendered by the aggressions COM
planned Of Is akin to the surprise and
regret experienced by one who has
been cruelty wronged by a friend and
who remains confident that q per-
sonal explanation and candid confer
ence will wipe out all differences and
bring q speedy reparatlon. 1t Is In
this spirit the American people await
| the result OF the wel-timed note OF
| the President.
Release Every Dstaihed Ship.
What is needed now Is the release
of every detained shipment against
| which a prima facie case of guilt
| cannot be made out, carrying with 1t
an assurance to the trade that SO
long as 1t Is honest 1t Is safe.
The American people will be very
patient with respect to the case or
cases, 50 much talked OF and written
about. Of copper bars concealed in
cotton bales The 5000 tons Of COP
per now at Gibraltar were not con-
cealed In cotton bales. The consign-
ments all show on the ships papers,
in the regular and usual way, as did
| one unloaded at Marseilles, likewise
much advertised as being underneath
a cargo OF oats.
VIII Wait with Pstisncs.
| Cooper is convenient ballast and
| goes regularly to the place where II
| will best subserve that purpose. SO
our people will wait with patience the
determination OF tho question az "a
whether copper can be made by the
ipse dixit Of any single nation, abb
soiute contraband. That question will
arise in some case in which the proof
establishes that the destination shown
by the manifest and bills of ladinG
was simulated and that In fact 1t was
Germany OF Austria, but It does not
appear that the prize was for warlike
use. The claim that she may make 1,
such is put forth In good faith by
Great Britain, and we must await the
slow process of law and diplomatic
negotiation to try 1t out"
Senator Walsh submitted the
names of twenty-nine copper-laden
steamers held up as follows: Kroon-
land and Taurus. both American;
Belgia, German; Rotterdam, Pots
dam, westerdyk and Sioterdyk, al
Dutch; Palermo. Regina d'Italia Sar
| Giovanni, Italia. Duca al Geneva
Verona. Europa and San Gugfielmo
all italian: Tabor, Norheim. Sif
Sigrun. Antares ana Tyr, all Nor
wegian; Ascot, Francisco, idaho To
ronto, Marengo, Gaiileo and Perugia
ball British and Ban SWndishs