The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1915-07-21
PACKERS ASK AID
WANT BRITISH INTERFERENCE
WITH TRADE STOPPED
MANY Ships ARE Held III.
Meat Men Say England Has Over.
stepped the Law and That She Has
no Right to Interfere With Car
goes Shipped Into Neutral Coun-

trleS-RepreSentati to be Made.
American meat packers have ap-
pealed to the state department to de-
mand that Great Britain stop inter-
fering with cargoes consigned to neu-
tral ports and settle for fourteen
million dollars worth of their pro-
duets now held in the prize court.
They charge the British government
with destruction of commerce in food
products between the United States
and other neutral nations.
After the conference between the.
packers and. Chandler Anderson, spe-
cial counsellor of the state depart
ment, it was announced that the de-
partment would make representa-
tions to Great Britain. The packers
will discuss the difficulties further
with Mr.. Anderson.
In a statement outlining their case
as laid before the department, they
declare that the British government
purposely delays settlement of their
claim for seized cargoes and that
they are not inclined to reopen trade
with neutral countries unless they
can be assured of delivery Of their
shipments to ports designated.
The statement gives the history of
the detention of consignments for
Scandinavian countries shipped be-
fore the British order in council was
issued in some instances and in 9TH
ers before it was known to the pack
erS.
Gas reported to the packers by
their representatives in England, Al
fred r. Urion," says the statement,
"the latest terms for the release Of
the cargoes as laid down by Great
Britain are held to be so onerous as
to be unacceptable. Until week
ago the packers were assured by
their representative in England the
situation would be amicably adjust
ed, when the new set Of unreasonable
terms were suggested by the authori-
ties and Immediately rejected by the
packers.
"In brief these latest terms are:
'tThat the packers guarantee Great
Britain against claims arising out Of
the detention Of ships.
ttThat the packers guarantee Great
Britain against claims Of buyers, who
bought and paid for large quantities
of products seized
The packers assert that this latest
move by Great Britain is only an
other step to delay a settlement Of
the problem and that there appears
to be absent the sincere desire to
settle the controversy.
About fourteen million dollars
worth of packers products. are held
up in the prize courts. In their con-
ferences with Mr.. Anderson the pack
ers were insistent that the American
government should take firm action,
and their statement says of this
phase of the subject:
'The packers assert that the at
tack of Great Britain seemed to be
increditabl in view Of many adjust
ments they made to meet the Eng
lish government in its demands.
They take the position Of being en-.
titled to full compensation for their
goods, and declare that as American
citizens they should be afforded pro-
lection by the United States and that
this government should take a de-
termined stand to protect their rights
to ship to neutral countries"
The statement lays particular
stress upon the cases of five cargoes !.
before November Is last, in
neutral steamers for Copenhagen,
and seized on the high seas on the
ground that they presumably were
ultimately destined for Germany.
The cases, postpone from time to
time, are set to come up in the prize
court soon. The ships involved are
the Alfred B. Jornstejerne, Bjorn-
sen, Fridland and Arkansas. Three
sailed before the order in council
was issued and before the order was
known to the packers.
.'The packers call attention to a
statement made by Premier Asquith
in the House of Commons March 1
last, that vessels with cargoes which
sailed before the date of this notifl-
cation (order in counciD will not be
affected"
The statement continues: "Shortly
after the DeSlnIlNS VI LILO war eai0
British ambassador at Washington
assured the United States govern
ment that Great Britain would not
interfere with the trade in foodstuHs
between neutrals. With this in mind,
the packers say they were justified
in making their shipments to neutral
ports in neutral ships.
after numerous conferences the
prize court authorities finally decided
not to release the goods except unless
the packers agreed to use the goods
in England and give English baH 70
the full value of the seized cargoes.
Inasmuch as the cargoes consisted
mainly of fats, oils and pig products
of fat and heavy texture adapted to
colder countries than England, the