South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-01-22
BRITAIN ASSERTS
SHE Il CHALLENGE
SHIP TRANSIT Err
Embassy Gives Out Statement
That DaCia Will be Captured
But Value of Cargo viii be
Guaranteed by Government.

WASHINGTON. Jan. z1.-The Off
cal attitude of Great Britain in the
case Of the Dacia was declared on
Thursday night in formal statement
Issued by the British embassy at
Washington
The British government for the first
time uses the word capture" with
reference to disputed cases. Hereto
fore the embassy has been at some
pains 70 explain that vessels have
been merely detained"
The embassy statement leaves no
room for doubt that the British gov
eminent challenges the validity of the
Dacia's American registration and
that the ship will be captured.
The embassy statement follows:
I'm 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 her cargo, have found
II impossible 10 agree that the trans
fer in the circumstances in which il
has been effected. is valid in accord
ance with the accepted principles Of
international law. If. therefore, the
Dacia should proceed TO sea and
should be captured the British gov
eminent will find themselves obliged
10 bring the ship (apar+ from the car
Will Pay for Cargo.
1T is stated that the cargo of the
Dacia is to consist solely Of cotton
owned by American citizens. If this
is so and if the vessel should be cap
tired the British government will
guarantee either 10 purchase the car
go at the price which would have been
realized by the shippers if the cargo
mad reached its foreign destination. or
70 10
ward the cotton TO Rotterdam with
out further expense to the shippers"
The treasury department Thursday
issued a war risk insurance on the
cargo of cotton on the Dacia. No in
surance was obtainable from the gov
eminent on the hull of the vessel.
The treasury department officials
as well as the state department off
Gals are rather pleased over the case
Of the Dacia They say:
This incident Will bring up for set
Element perhaps finally whether a ship
purchased under similar circum-
stances, whether by private citizens or
the government itself, is valid in in
ternatiOnal law. OF course the Ques-
ton of the cargo is not very import
ant because il has always been under
stood that if it We're retained by Great
Britain she would pay for it or send
it TO its destination although she
might hold the vessel as a prize.
"The special value of the Dacia in
cident is its relation TO the govern
ment and its merchant marine bill. 1t
may be TO the advantage of the gov
eminent 10 purchase the vessel OF
belligerents which have been informed
like those of the Hamburg
line and it is obvious TO us that the
government could not proceed in such
cases without decision according TO
international law
1--WE are aware OF course that Great
Britain will challenge the good faith
of the purchase by maintaining that
the sale took place after the breaking
out of the war: that the original own
ers have q reversiOnary interest which
Will be released after the war and on
the ground that ii is contrary TO the
interest Of the allies that the purchase
money of the vessel might be at the
disposition In the United States Of the
enemies of Great Britain and France"
Anticipate Arguments.
State department officials also an
ticipate the arguments of Great Brit
ain in the prize courts. 1t has been
stated several times by English Off
Gals at Washington that the purchase
of the Dacia for a song was in it
self a very suspicious circumstance
and that another suspicious circum-
stance was that a Hamburg American
liner should have been selected to
take an emergency load of cotton to
Germany.
THE state department Thursday no
titled the owners of the Dacia that
she must Of course sail at her own
risk The department has on Thurs
day night after the receipt of the
British embassy statement a very
clear idea of the situation"
The position of this government now
as explained is this:
The executive branches of this