The Sentinel=record., 1915-05-21

London. May 2O-In an effort to correct what the government believes to be a misunderstanding of Great Brtains attitude toward American ships and American careoes in other neutral bottoms detained under the order in council, the foreign office has issued an explanatory memo mndum,
 This explanation is supplemented hy a statement that cotton cargoes which the government agrees to nur. chase under the cotton agre ament. have all been brought out by the gov ernment and that actual details con eeTning the payment only await proof of ownership and papers showing the actual contract price It is explained Chat as most of these papers must come from the United States there will still be some unavoidable delays before the owners of the cotton get their money
 The memorandum of the foreign of flee follows:
 There are at the present moment three American ships detained in this country Two of them are cotton ,hi s. whicn are dealt with below The third is tAe steamer Joseph w. Fard ney with foodsturfs consigned to E Klincener. Malmo (Swed m brought into port April &; when sighted she endeayored unsuccessmny with the evident desire to evade search. to es cape rapidly into Norwegian tarrito. rial waters
 Inquiries with regard to the con signee developed that no person of that name could be identified at Malmo, though a person of that name resided at Gotnenburg. who was man ager of the Gothenhwg braucl of Hugo Mamvig, and who had stated that the consignments addre seed to him on board the Joseph W. Ford ney Were intended for his storage in Malm0.
 Ills majesty feels satisfied that in the circumstances of this case undue Interference with American interests cannot with reason be imputed to trem.
 "The number of neutral vessels ear r ing American Cargoes and st pres ent held up is thirty six CT these 2& carry cargoes of American cotton The United States government is aware that since the enforcement of the blockade measures his maiesty's government had acted as regards shi ments of American cotton in nc. cordance with the provisions of an arrangement arrived at in collabora- tion with representatives of the Amer jean cotton interests The terms Of the arrangements are as follows.
 A-Au cotton for which contracts of sale with freight engagements al ready have been made before MarcG 2, is to be allowed fir transit or bought at the contract price if stop ped; provided the ship sails not later than the 3lst of March
 Similar treatment is to b. ac corded all cotton insured before the End of March. provided it is put aboard not later than the 10th of March
 "C-Aj shipments of cotton clqlm. ing the above protection are 10 he de claTed before sailing and documents produced and certificates o5ta ned from consular officers or other au- thordes fixed by the government.
 I'm acce ting this scneme. which ft may be noted apply to shipments of cotton for neutral destination only. the principa' representative of Amer. icau cotton interests describes it 10 his maiesty's ambassador at Wash ington as concedne all that the Amer iran cotton interests cold properly ask lt never was suggested that yes se's or cargoes with am enemy destma ton should be alolwed to proceed His majeisty's government were moreover given to understand that the proyi- sious of the arrangement were ac- ceptable to the United States eoy- v t-liltilt-
 "A considerable portion of cotton has already been sold and arrange meuts are being made for handing over the roceeds to the owners os a first installment of the com letad transactions It is obvious that all these arrangements require me time Meanwhile 1t is not bel eyed the original owners can. as appears acutely by thedeIay of full payment acutety by the delay Of full payment It is to be presumed that in accord ance with the customs Of trade the owners drew bills 10 the value of their goods before or al the tim If ship ment and if such bills have been ne- gotiated in the usual way it is diff cult to understand wny the awers