The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-31
ENGLAND MAY STOP
COTTON SHIPMENTS
AGITATION Is Begun to Have
product Declared Contraband
as War Material.
WILL SEIZE FOOD SHIPS
.....,, cnb,. D..patch 70 rnr sly.

,psciIi Cdbie Despdfch 10 THE SUI.
,,,,,x. Ian. 3O.-Whtle the Dacia Is
$500, t.rt ,t Galveston an agitation has
t,,p begun here which Is WORTH OF the
.,..oys attention Of the American public
rh, question that has arisen is whether
49,. u~.,lsh Government has not made an
.rro,.,us error in permitting the free
.,..,.,.p, of co.ton 20 Germany. Various
..,,, oriters Ike Sic william Ramsay
..l uualre Belloc and also newspapers
s.t.ru.ncs like the patty Mail insist that
,,..,, 10, virtue of the possibility OF its
..,-.uatlon into ammunition must be
e,.trsd coutraband.
r,r~r Is every indication that this pres
.,.. sill Increase and Il the Government
go f. will be only In tn face Of the
o,r,s...sa " the highes' military authori-
,,..,r.l ont OF an extreme desire to DEM
,s.~.tc t,at England is ready to waive
,y.-. poiut save national preservation
T. favor Of the United States.
cs.e.auy. according 20 the view OF Eng
-, authorities. has done Infinite harm TO
,.r,,lt los her recent proclamations In re-
,,-I TO food-;urs and has forced the
i.r5 az the British Government 50 shat
49,. commodities will he declared aoso-
i... ..s,,ad of conditional contraband OF
W.
the German Government announced
T.; after February l 1t would take over
oil food supplies in the fmplre' as the
people had not followed he official sug-
restIons in regard to ecorPmy For this
,os.,, If il now most hkely taat the
American steamer Wilhelmlna. which
sailed from New York on January -
81. "A cargo of food for Germany. will
b. stopped by British cruisers. taken TO
a. English port and held subject To the
decision ot,the prize rourt.
To American Commission for Relief in
Belgium announced late tonight that II
had made an offer To- purchase the VIII
iolm!ua's cargo Of food The commission
IS behind In its deliveries OF food because
of accidents TO various steamers WniCn
we're bringing supplies to the Belgians ard
/, therefore anxious to get the cargo OF
t.c Wilhelmina.
friend Of the commission has placed
o. It's disposal enough money to buy the
food destined for Germany. II the plan
ro,s through the vessel will he diverted
to Rotterdam and the food will go TO the
Es.,ans The offer OF the commission
proydes for a fair profit TO- the owners
and charterers OF the Wllelmina.
IL will be recalled that Sir Edward
GREY the British Foreign Secretary. III ms
declaration about foodstuffs. said thai
England would abide by its decision To
pernit their free access to beliEerent
countries. providing they were not con-
signed either TO the enemys' armed forces
or to the enemy's Government. The
recent German proclamation. OF whica
the British Government has received
sufficient confirmation as to its accuracy
leaves no alternative but to regard the
cargo Of the Wilhelmna as consigned To
beulgerent Government.
Nevertheless. in view OF the fact that
tai W..Se!:...aG SAILED prior 80 the an
rouncement by the German Government
II is most likely that England will adopt
the same liberal attitude as II did In
cases Of ships carrying copper before thai
metal was declared contraband, and will
buy the cargo In the case Of the Will
halmlna there will be no question OF con
fscat!on, but the various matters at Issue
will be left to the jurisdiction of the prize
court. and I'm order that the consIgnee'
may not suffer II the ship Is seized. tn,
cargo will be paid for Immediately.
This may be taken as an indication
however. that other ships consigned L
Germany with foOdstuffs from the Cnltec
States may as well remain AT home, he
cause the British Government does no
propose to buy every cargo that Is shipped
In the case of the Wilheimina II simpl,
desires that the consignees shall not SUITE
through their ignorance OF the German
Governments intentions.