The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1915-05-26
Ileast tefoTe the date when the bills

least tefore the date when the bill
fall due.
az. On an importial review of thu
facts it will, his Majesty's govern
ment feels sure, be admitted that NJ
arbitrary interference with American
interests has, in regard to these car
goes, occurred, seeing that hi:
Majesty's government have actet
throughout in conformity with the
terms of an arrangement agreeable
to the interests concerned, and tna
United States citizens will suffer nc
pecuniary loss.
Other American Cargoes.
IS. As regards other American
cargoes, or portions of cargoes, which
have been placed in the prize court
his Majesty's government resort tc
this measure in cases where either
the goods concerned are contraband
or there is evidence that, although
ostensibly consigned to a person IN
neutral countries, they are in reality
destined to the enemy in contraven.
ton of the rules of blockade. The
right to submit such cases to the pub
lie investigation of a judicial tribu-
nal is one which his Majesty's gov
ernment can not forego, and they
feel convinced that the enlightened
opinion in the United States can not
adversely criticise their course Of &C
ton in this respect.
SO. It is true that number OF
these cases have been pending in the
prize court for some time. This Is
notably the case in regard to certain
vessels carrying large shipments of
meat and lard ostensibly consigned
to Scandinavian ports. The United
States government are, however, no
doubt aware that much of the delay
involved in these instances IS due to
the fact that the negotiations have
been carried on for many weeks with
a representative of the principal
American meat packers for an ar
rangement designed to limit tmporta-
tion into neutral countries adjacent
to Germany to quantities actually re-
quired in those countries for bona
fde home consumption. The Amerl-
can meat packers have demanded as
a part of the settlement to be agreed
upon that his Majesty's government
should buy the cargoes Of several
ships now held up in the prize court.
Hence the delay in bringing these
cases to adjudication.
Negotiations at StandstiH.
"The negotiations for an amicable
settlement have unfortunately come
to a standstill owing to the exorbi-
tant terms insisted upon by the rep
resentative Of the American packers.
This stage now having been reached,
his Majesty's government have decld-
ed to go on with the prize court pro-
ceedings in these cases, and 1t is not
expected that decision will be much
longer delayed.
"1o. 1t may finally be pointed out
that repeated complaint as to Injury
suffered generally by American trade
in consequence OF interference, due
to British naval measures, derives
little substance from the published
American trade returns. A table Of
figure taken from these returns and
showing the amount Of recent Amerl-
can trade with Germany and neutral
countries supplying Germany is an
nexed hereto. It certainly tends to
disprove any contention that Amerl-
can trade with neutral countries has
recently suffered. 1t will be seen,
whereas American exports to Ger
many and Austria in February, 1915,
fell by S21, 100000 as compared with
the same month in 1914, American
exports to Scandinavian Holland and
Italy rose by enormous figures OF
s61,2O0,000.
al. Similar figures for the month
of March have not yot reached his
Majesty's goye1-ment, but they have
received statistics for that month for
value Of exports and imports through
New York, as issued by the collector
of the post, and while pointing out a
large increase in the value Of exports
in 1915, compared with those OF
1914, as shown in the tables annex
ed, they desire especially to call at
tention to a separate statement lndi-
eating the increase in the amount Of
the export to Scandinavian and
Dutch ports of two commodities only,
bacon and lard. These figures show
that as against 1888 boxes of bacon,
and 9,iS6 tierces Of lard exported to
the ports noted in the above countries
in March, 1914, there were exported
in March, 1915, 1922 boxes OF
bacon and 95,676 tierces of lard.
"12. His Majesty's government
consider that the abnormal increase
in supplies imported by neutral
countries, as shown on these stats
tics alone justifies their assumption
as to the ultimate destination OF
many items in cargoes consigned to
one or the other Of the countries in
question in tho vessels which they
have detained; but they would call
attention to the fact that it is only
when they believe themselves to be
in possession tf conclusive evidence
of the enemy destination OF a cargo
that they have seized such a cargo,
and that American interests as for in
stance in case of cotton. have recelV-
or a.