The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1915-01-24

kind undertaken by any vessel from
an American port since war began
in Europe, nearly six months ago.
If the Wilhelmina is detained or
| seized the w. l.. Green Commission
| company of st. Louis, charterers of
the vessel and shippers Of her cargo,
according to their counsel here, will
| file "A protest with the American state
department declaring that the cargo
is conditional contraband, denying
the right of a belligerent warship to
conflscate it and requesting the Unit
ed States to demand the immediate
release of ship and cargo.
The cargo consists of grain, meats
and dried fruits and is intended ac-
cording to the shippers, for consump-
tion by the civilian population Of
Germany and will not be sold direct
~ or indirectly to- the German gov
ernment or its armed forces.
Guarantee Filed at Port.
A guarantee to this effect was filed
with the United States customs au-
thorities Friday in the form of an
affidavit by w. r. Brooking, repre-
senting the shippers. Their counsel
said the shippers We're prepared to
back this guarantee with a bond in
any amount. Mr. Brooking will go to
Hamburg to dispose of the cargo, if
it escapes seizure by warships, in
reJil lots to private concerns. He
probably will obtain written guaran-
tees that the foodstuffs will be redis-
posed of only through retail trading
with citizens and that the military
and naval forces will not be given or
sold any part of it.
The Wilhemina's captain. VIII
Brewer, of Philadelphia, is an Amer
lean and her crew is American except
for a few Spanish and Scandinavian
oilers
Sir Courtenay w. Bennett the Brit
ish counsel general in New York,
when the sailing of the Wilhemina
was brought to his attention today,
declined to discuss the case.
The Wilhelmina's cargo consists of
9O0,0 900 pounds of wheat, $4,000
pounds of corn and 1000 pounds OF
bran and lard, beef. pork, hams,
picked tongue dried fruit, peas,
beans and oats.
Asked Opinion of Bryan.
Before deciding to risk this cargo
on the high seas, its owners, accord
ing to Mr. Lindhelm, January 20,
sent "A letter to Secretary Bryan.
which contained this clause:
please advise us in what position
we would stand, so far as your de-
partment is concerned if we nego-
tiate sales of wheat cargoes to Ger
man buyers and make shipment di-
rect to Germany in American YES
sells, furnishing "A guarantee by the !
not for military usages."
After asking for an early reply by |
wire. the letter concludes:
I'VE certainly hope that our gov
will take a firm stand for |
the protection of American shipping !
as it works very great hardship |
on this country to allow England to
dictate as to where we can do bust |
ness and under what terms and con-
Secretary Bryan replied, Mr. Lind
helm said, as follows:
"Foodstuffs are ranked as condi-
tional contraban6 and may be law
fully shipped to territory of beliger-
ents, when in fact not destined or
intended as supplies for the belliger-
ent government or its armed forces"
Mr. Llndheim said Secretary Bryan
added word to the effect that he
could not outline what course the
state department would pursue in the
event of seizure of such cargo
shipped under the conditions describ-
aded Friday, "the commission COM
lany. in its protest to the state de-
,artment will ask that representations
,e made by the American government
o the government whose ships made