Evening star., 1915-01-05
WARNS EXPORTERS
AGAINST SECRECY
Efforts to Conceal Goods Nav
Throw Suspicion on All
U. S. Commerce.
GOVERNMENT SENDS
OUT OFFICIAL NOTICE
Cooperation of American Business
Is Expected-Afidavit With
Manifest Suggested.

Is Expected-Afidavit With
Manifest Suggested.
Warning to exporters that efforts to
conceal the nature of goods shipped to
foreign ports is likely to throw sus-
picion on all American commerce and
do inestimable damage, after being
dispatched to Ambassador Page. is be-
Ing sent throughout the country to-
day.
The government in this official no.
tice to all shippers suggests that all
shipping manifests be complete and
accurate. Observance of these re-
quremcnts it is urged. will avoid de-
lays incident to sea search while in
transit.
THE government says the notice,
looks with confidence for cooperation
| from the American business public to
prevent such action on the part of
shippers adds unnecessarily to the
| difficulties of business at this time.
Treasury Will Aid.
Whenever shippers desire such aid
in carrying on their foreign business
t he Treasury Department will furnish
| upon application to the customs col
| lector at any port an officer to super
wise the loading of cargo and to GER
| tify to the completeness and accuracy
of the manifest.
| LAS further precaution it is sug-
Sested that the shippers accompany
ships manifest with an affidavit stat
! ing that the articles shipped are cor
rectly shown by the manifest, and that
the packages contain nothing except
| that which is shown there.
! The notice is of date January and
| is signed by the acting secretary of
the Treasury, Andrew J. Peters. It
also bears the Endorsement of w. j.
Bryan. Secretary of state, and of Will
tIiam c. Redtield, Secretary Of Com
merce.-
The notice sets forth that cases have
occurred where Inaccuracies and in
completeness of manifests have been
! regarded as evidence of effort to con-
ceal the nature of goods carried
| abroad.
| Chance of Suspicion.
Even a few cases of this kind may
throw suspicion upon other American
commerce.. says the notice, "and.
through delay, work injury to our for
eign trade. While a shipowner who
| knowingly becomes a party to such q
|
his patrons as may justly suffer there
| by, still this is not i sufficient protec-
ton, since it does not safeguard other
| shippers who suffer inconvenience be-
cause of occasional derelictions of
| those who inaccurately describe or
| conceal the character of their ship
mentS.
| Assurance is given that the govern
ment is making every practical effort
| to secure the uninterrupted flow OF
| American commerce and to reduce to a
minimum such delays as may be un-
avoida bic in time of war
Considers Amendments.
The Senate commerce committee met
| to consider amendments proposed te
the shipping bill and adopted tbs
amendment proposed yesterday bs
Senator Stone to give the President au-
thorty to designate ports at which
! customs collectors would be compelled
to inspect all cargoes destined for Eu'
| ropean ports before they are loaded
on vessels belonging to or controlled
by the United States, or on vessels OF
American registry.
An amendment that vessels to be pur-
| chased or chartered by the United
states should be governed by interna
tonal maritime laws also was ac-
cepted. Senator Lodges amendment
! has not yet been considered by the
COnlfnlttee.
Ambassador Regards Note Moderate.
Sir Cecil Spring-Rice, the British am
| bassador, called at the State Depart
ment yesterday for the first time since
the American note of protest on ship
ming was sent to Great Britain. He
conferred with Counselor Robert Lans-
ing.
| Though he had received no instruc-
which is to be made to the American
note, the British amba ssador indicated
that it would be of most friendly
character 1t is understood that Sill
Cecil regards the American note as
moderate in tone compared to the
usually percmptory and mandatory
tenor of notes Of this kind passing be-
tween neutra1s and belligerents ir
ines of war.
with Amha ssador Page similarly show
ed that England received the American n
note in !, most amicab1e spirit and in
tended to ameliorate the shipping sit
uation SO far as was possible to do sc
was learned from high officials here.
Washington Helps Solution.
Another development which is regarded
as affor,Iing solution of one Of thu
points under dispute between Great Brit
ain and the United States is the decision
of the Washington administration to Ger
tify American CarSoeS as to their exact
contents before leaving American ports
Secretaries Bryan and Redfield and Act.