The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-14
BRITISH FOREIGN
 OFFICE INTERESTING Has Been Completely Re-
 organized Since the War ELIMINATE RED TAPE
ELIMINATE RED TAPE
Speedier Handling of Contraband Cases Is Assurcd-Departme Does More Work in This Line Than
 Was Ever Handled

London, February 1.-tCorreS pom dence the Associated Press )-The Brit ish foreign office, which is in cor respondence with the department Of state in the United States concerning the treatment of neutral shippings, is the most interesting departmental headquarters of the government outside the war office and the admiralty.
 Previous to the declaration of war, the foreign office had its work divided according to geographical lines, bu. with the war so many special questions arose that the working force was com pletely reorganized with special sub jects-contraband, passports citizenship and treaties.
 The unusual conditions still swamp some of these departments with work, but gradually the business is being systematized and the under secretaries expect that delays, which have been a cause of much irritation, will be avoid ed In the eontraband department it Is believed many times the amount of busi- ness that any other government was ever called upon to do in this line IS being handled
 Eliminating Red Tape
 Sir Edward Grey has converted one Of the big waiting rooms at the for eign office into quarters for this de- partment and scores of special clerks and other employees have been desig- mated for duty there. The co-ordina. :. tion of the foreign office and the ad- miralty in disposing of central band cases has frequently been hindered by red tape But steps have been taken to eliminate this and from now on the foreign office promises a speedier handling of such cases
 Francis Dyke Acland ranking under secretary of the foreign office, is often on duty from 10 in the morning until midnight. Photographers and code men working in eight-hour relays are on duty throughout the 24 hours and 1t is not unusual for the foreign office to have 150 messages every eight hours Many of these are long and their trans iation from code demands time and hard york
 When it is taken into considera ton that klrkwall. in the Orkney Islands and practically every port in the south and west of England. are filled with ships held for investigation some idea can be formed of the messages which must be exchanged daily concerning suspected con- traband held in the English Isles alone As the navy is equally active in the waters near all the colonies and the French navy is guarding Mediterranean trade against contraband destined for the enemies of the allies, messages from all parts of the world concerning shipping problems monopolize the cables and indi- cate the responsibilities entailed,
 All Diplomats Call Frequently
 The United States, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Holland and Italy have been especially affected. by the efforts of the allies to prevent contraband from reach ing Germany and sometimes represen- tatives of all these countries present grievances in a single day. South Ameri- can dfpomatist and the representatives of other neutrals less affected by the rigorous policy of the admiralty are also frequent callers upon Sir Edward Grey and his chief assistants.
 The suggestion in a published dispatch from any section of the world that some country has permitted an act which might be regarded as a violation of neutrality instantly inspires visit to the foreign office from the representative of the pow CT mentioned
 Of the European neutrals The Neth- erlands minister, MT. Van Swinderen, for years the Dutch representative in Wash ington, has been most persistent in keep ing the position of his government before the foreign office. As the neutral dip lomatist entrusted with the affairs of belligerent nations, MT. Page the Amer ican ambassador, has occasion to make many visits to Sir Edward Grey Previous to the war English subjects. like Americans, had little use for pass ports and seldom obtained them. Under changed conditions, however, the demand for passports has become overpowering and the foreign office. notwithstanding the creation of special passport de- partment and the endowment of a great ly increased clerical force, is unable to supply a passport without two-day de- lay. Photographs are now required on all English passports and hundreds of applicants wait every day for the doc ument required before they may leave England for any foreign port and de- manded even in districts near the Eng fish coast, if they are not known to the local officials.