Norwich bulletin., 1915-01-22
British Will Seize
 Steamer DaCia
IF FORMER HAMBURG AMERICAN
 LINER PUTS TO SEA.
HOLD SHIP, NOT CARGO
Announcement Made Through British Embassy at Washington-WiII Pur- chase Cargo or Forward It, But Hold Ship as Prize.

Washington, Jan. 21-The British government announced tonight through it's embassy here that if the former Hamburg American liner Da- Cia proceeded to sea she would be cap tured and taken to a prize court. Her cargo of cotton will be purchased by the British government or forwarded to Rotterdam without further expense to the shippers, according as how the owners may prefer.
 Owners of Dacia Informed.
 The state department had communi- cated this information informally to the owners of the Dacia, as a result of a message from Ambassador Page and was notified in reply that the vessel was loading at Galveston and would put to sea, notwithstanding the British governments position. It was said that the owners had resolved to test the issue in 9 prize court. Incidental ly the war sisk bureau of the gov ernment today issued a. policy insur- declined to insure the vessel itself The statement from the British em- bassy was as follows:
 Ship for Prize Court.
 Tn connection with the transfer of the Dacia from the German to the American flag, the British government while anxious to avoid causing loss to the shippers of Sl1e cargo, have found it impossible to agree that the trans fer, in the circumstances in which it has been effected, is valid and in ac- cOrdance with the accepted principles of international law. If, therfore, the Dacia should proceed to sea, and should be captured, the British gov ernment will find themselves obliged to bring the ship (apart from the car gO) before the prize court.
 Cotton Owned by Americans.
 Tt is stated that the cargo of the Dacie is to consist solely of cotton owned by American citizens. If this is so and if the vessel should be cap tured by the British government will have guarantee either to purchase the cargo at the price which would have been realized by the shippers if the cargo had reached it's foreign destina- Uon, or, if preferred. they will under take to forward the cotton to Rotter- dam without any further expense to the shippers.
 Transfer of Flag Must be Bona Eide.
 The above announcement concludes the first chapter in the negotiations which the American government undertook on behalf of the owners of the Dacia to secure her freedom from capture. Under the declaration of London, 9 transfer of flag must be of a bona fide character and not made merely to escape the consequences of war One of the alleged suspicious circumstances cited at first was that the Dacia planned to traverse her old route from the United States to Ger many This led to a proposal by the owners that the ship take her cargo to Rotterdam, Holland. The state de- partment asked that in view of the change a single voyage by the vessel be not interrupted.
 British Resorting to LoophoTes.
 Soon ofter the war began, holding that all of fthe parties O he declara- tion of London were finding loOpholes in the convention and amending it at heir own pleasure, the state depart ment announced that as far as the United States was concerned it would not be bound by those declarations Consequently the American govern ment is operating under the general principles of international law, which recognize bona fide transfers of owner ship of merchant vessels of a beIlig- erent power even in time of war