Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-09-22

the rest to come In as inexpedient.'
Tho root OF the matter is the legality
Of tho blockade OF neutral ports. This
Is the question involved not only In
this veXatious matter Of tho importers.
but in the case of tho packers. which.
however. may have to be taken up
separately"
From what can be learned, Ambas-
sador Page has been instructed to get
n definite answer from Great Britain.
not only as to what she proposes to
do with goods now ready for ship
mcnt from neutral ports to the United
states, but as to her defense OF the
blockade as affecting Dutch and Scan
dlnavian ports. 1t is not thought by
officials that Great Britain will recede
from her announced policy of justifying
the blockade on the ground of mill
tary retaliation. The effort however.
Is to be made to get satisfaction. and
this question Will occupy the attcn-
ton OF the State Department as most
Important. for the next ten days. The
position OF this government is that
retalatory measures. whether taken by
Germany or by Great Britain, are es-
aentially wrong. Whether the State
Department will pursue the issue to
the extent to which 1t was carried
with Germany remains TO be seen.
Through their local representative
the Chicago packers to-day notified tho
state Department they would not come
to Washington until the arrival OF the
text OF the prize court decision which
conftscated 3l5.O00.OOO worth of their
carsoes. This Is expected by the lat
ter part OF the week. and Attorneys
Charles j. Faulkner and Henry Veeder.
counsel for the packers. Will then con-
fer with the department.
NO ACTION UNTIL. PRIZE COURT
DECISION is PASSED UPON
This government. 1t can he stated
on authority. Will take no action until
the prize court decision has been
passed upon by the British court Of
last resort. officials maintain that the
a plea Of denial of Justice now. 1t
cannot be claimed that a denial OF
Justice has been suffered until It is
shown whether the higher courts sus-
tain the prize courts ruling.
Meanwhile the packers. acting upon
the advice OF the department. will
appeal the case.
confer with Acting Secretary Polk.
Will submit brief in which they will
contend that tho British prize court
rules violate every accepted provision
OF international law. and that under
them there Ia not opportunity to OBJ
tho rights guaranteed private ntigants
are ruthleasly set aside and unless
tho United States intervenes and Sc
cures to Americans their constitutional
rights many additional millions of dol
lars Will be confiscated. and trade
that has required years In upbuilding
VIII be sacrificed for the henent OF
British capital.
Counsel for the packers claim that
inviolation OF the accepted rules OF
international law, the packers were
compelled 10 assume the burden Of
proof in the prize cases regarding the
innocent destination OF their ship
mcnts, and that even when such proof
was submitted the evidence was not
received. The SPECIFIC charge is made
that the decision OF the prize court
was not based upon the evidence
brought out at the hearing, but on
statistics and statements made by the
crown attorneys. which. were desig-
mated to indicate that the shipments
to Holland and Scandinavian countries
had largely increased. and that, there
fore, the presumption was that the
meats were destined for German
sources