South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-05-21
GREAT BRITAIN
TELLS ATTITUDE
TO j. s. CARGOES
Foreign Office Issues Long
Memorandum in Effort to
Correct What is Believed to
Be a misunderstanding.

LONDON. May 21-The foreign
office issued a long memorandum on
Thursday night in an effort TO correct
what the government believes TO be a
misunderstanding Of Great Britain's
attitude toward American ships and
American cargoes in other neutral
bottoms detained under the order IN
council.
The Memorandum
The memorandum OF the foreign
office follows.
ships detained in this country. Two
are cotton ships. The third is the
steamer Joseph w Fordney. TINS
vessel with foOdstuffs consigned 10
+ Klingener at Malmo (Sweden),
was brought into kirkWall Aprl O.
She had been sighted about ten miles
from the Norwegian coast ana lidu
thereupon endeavored, with eVloehI
desire 10 evade search, 10 escape mo
Norwegian water, but without success;
ION the vessels arrival in klrkWall
fnoufries were addressed to his ma
iestv's minister at Stockholm Win re-
gard To the consignee Of the cargo. n
replv was received that no person %
that name could be identified at NAL
O.
name at Gothenburg' manage OF me
C,othenburg branch of Hugo HartNs'
who stated that the cOnslgnments al
dressed To him on board the Joseph
w Fordney were for storage IN Nal
mo. A.. ,f
"SecOnd-The suspicious conduct OF
the vessel in endeavoring to elude pa
t-ols ana the known connections OF
the consignee of her cargo nave con-
tended 10 confirm other evidence
witch has come TO the knowledge OF
his maiesty's government Jnal inc
foodstuffs were, in reality ues'lheu
for Germany. eel
satisfied that i'm the circumstances OF
tbfs case undue interference with
American interests cannot with red
son be imputed TO them
..Tbird-The number of neutral
vessels carrying American cargoes
held up is 326. OF these % Cd.I
American cotton The United states
are aware that since the enforcement
Of the blockade measures announced
in the supplement to the London ia
zette of March l.. his majesty gov
ornment have acted as regards SNIP
vents Of American cotton IN accord
nee with the prohibitions OF an ar
ranpement arrived at with represeh-
tattves of the American cotton IN
terests. NJ,
..1-o,,rtb In accepting this scheme
which applies to cotton for a neu-
trail destination only the prlnclpal
CONSERVATIVES of the American cot
ION interests described it to MS ma
foet,,'s ambassador at washington as
conceding all that the American IN
terests could properly ask. IL was
never suggested that cargoes with an
- "IFifth-It is intended shortly TO
Furnish a statement showing what
corpoes. or proportions OF cargoes' ms
ma iesty-s government have dealt with
under this arrangement.
"Sixth-A considerable portion Oh
.otton has already been sold, and ar
-angements are being mace LOT haiu
no over to the parties entitled TO re-
.eive them the total value as a hrst
installment of the completed transac-
lion II is obvious that all these ar
rangements require some Tune IOT
AMUSEMENT Meanwhile it is not be-
Heved that the original owners can,
as appears 10 be apprehended. be
suffering acutely by the delay OF iuil
payment --.,., .o,.io,,.
r the facts III will. his majesty's gov
.rnment feels sure be admitted that
oo arbitrary interference with Amer
can interests. has in regard TO these
earEOes. occurred
.Eighth-As regards other Ameri-
can cargoes. or portions or careoes
which have been placed I'm the prize
court his maiesty'S government re-
sorts to this measure in cases Where
-fther the goods concerned are con-
srahaDd or there is evidence that, al
though ostensibIy consigned 10 per
SON i'm neutral countries, they are IN
reality destined TO the enemy in con-
prevention of the rules of war.
.sIn such cases the public inVesti-
cation of a judicial tribunal is one
which his majestys government can
not foregO and they feel convinced
that the enlightened opinion in the
United States cannot adversely crlu-
eize their course in this respect.
Cases Pending In Court.
"Ninth-It is true number of
Eases have been pending in the prize
court for some time. This is notably
ne case with certain vessels carrying
neat and lard ostensibly consigned TO
scandinavian ports.
THE United States government are.
however. no doubt aware that much of
he delay is due 10 the fact that the
REGULATIONS have been carried on for
many weeks with a representative of
srs for an arrangement To limit inn
--tation into neutral countries ada
sent 20 Germany 20 quantities aCtu-
flly required I'm those countries for n
lonafide home consumption.
"Tenth-It may finally be pointed
,ut that repeated complaint as 10 in
ury suffered generally by American
rade I'm consequence of interference
iues 10 British naval measures derives
title substance from the published
American trade returns.
His majesty's government consider
hat the abnormal increase in supplies
imported by neutral countries alone
ustifies their assumption as To the
Ultimate destination of many items
n cargoes consigned TO one or the
lther of the countries in question in
he vessels which they have detained;
)ut they would call attention 10 the
act that 10 is only when they believed
themselves To be in possession of con-
Elusive evidence Of the enemy destina-
ion OF a cargo that shey have seized
UGH a cargo. and that American in
erests. as for instance in the case Of
cotton. have received especially sym
athletic consideration"