The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1915-02-12

American Steamer Will Be Re-
tteased But Burden Will Be Sub
mitted To Prize Court For Or
der of Disposition Under Rules
th 4 On 1--- I8& NJ
VESSEL ENTERED FALMOUTH
IN A DAMAGED CONDITION
~ -
London Justifies CoRiiscaton On
Ground That Foodstuff Deliver
ed Would Have Given Com
fort and Benefit To Enemy

Associated Press BY Federal wirelesS)
7 oNDoN, February 11.-That stress
II of weather drove the American
uteamer wrhelmina into Falmouth, ana
that her call at that British port was
not voluntary and an indication that
her cargo Of foodstuff was TO be turned
over to the American Co=.mission for
Belgian Relief, was announced today,
when the ship was seized as a prize
because her cargo Of food5tuf was
billed through 70 German corsignees.,
The foreign ONCE rules that all food
studs directed to German destinations
are ssizable, under the contention that
the growing scarcity of food in Ger,
many, as indicated by the recent gov
eminent promulgations taking over GER
tain supplies for conservation, makes
the, delivery Of food from abroad cot
comfort and benefit to the enemy"
n ,z, CARGO ONLY IS HELD
The fOrsign ONCE, after an inquiry,
has decided that the Wilhelmina's
cargo must 60 through the prize court,
but that the vessel herself is free TO
depart ss soon AZ she has unloaded.
Tho Wilhelnina was neither con-
rvoyed nor towed into Falmouth, nor
did she enter under orders from any
naval ship. Her appearance in the
Port was due entirely to the fact that
she had become seriously damaged in
the gales she had encountered, and to
complete her voyage to Rotterdam
would have been to take the risk Of
fopndsriag.. ,...s .
s., coNsIGNED TO HAMBURG
The Wilhelr,ina is under charter TO
the w. L. Green Commission Company
OF st. Louis, and sailed from New
York on January %, flying the Amerd-
can hag, with cargo Of meats, dried
fruits and other foodstuff, consigned to
Hamburg, to he sold to the civilian
population. The news Of her sailing
drought from the British foreign once
warning that she would be seized,
inasmuch as there could be no guar
dntee that her cargo would not be
taken over by the German govern
nent for army or navy use.
ATTITUDE Of GERMANY
This warning elected from Count Won
Bernstorff, the German ambassador at
Washington, letter guaranteeing that
the cargo would not be taken by the
German government. In his letter he
stated:
7, as representative Of the Ger
man government, guarantee to you
Lhat the foodstuffB will not reach
the German government, its agents
or contractors, nor the military and
Ii4yal forces. l will further take
the necessary steps which win IN.
sure that the German government
VAL uph hlbAo uoC VI 40 IlBuL VI
presumption.
fne orcer Of the German Federal
Council, which is at present being
commented upon In the press, has
merely been Issued to prevent food!
stuffs at present In Germany from
being cornersd and specialized with,
thus bringing about an imitation Of
their prices. At any rate the order
does not affect foodstuffs imported
from neutral COUNT les and intended
e:;clusively for noncombatants
WHY BRITISH ACTED
After the sailing of tho Wilhelmina
came the announcements from Berlin
Of the taking over by the government
Or much Of the food supply Of the ma
ti9n, in order that 1t might be CON
ssryed. These announcements, referred
20 By the German Ambassador, were
quoted by the British as justification Of
their stand that the Importance Of
food into Germany could be stopped as