South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-03-26
BRITAIN REFUSES
j. s. REQUEST FOR
CONSUL At PORT
Port of KirkWalI, Scotland, to
Remain One of Mystery
Great Britain Will Not Per-
NIT Consul Stationed There.

WASHINGTON. March 26.-State
department officials were surprised
Thursday by the report that Great
britain had refused the request OF
the department that an American
consul or consular agent should be
allowed 10 take station at Kirkwall,
Scotland
Officials are not willing to credit
the statement until IL is made officially
and then il is certain that the United
States viii repeat its request.
kirkwall is a port OF mystery to
the United States government II is
on the northern route TO English and
Dutch ports and il is understood that
it has been made a military station by
the British government TO its char
acter as port of call.
News is Held Up.
One of the officials of the state
department said Thursday that the
department very seldom learned any
thing that was going on at Kirkwali
until long after it had taken place.
That condition had been observed III
the cases of several American ships
which were seized at Kirkwall. The
facts of the seizures did not become
known until the vessels turned up IN
the prize courts of England
The peculiar administration Of the
port of kiTkwal by Great Britain, il
was stated Thursday would Friday be
made the subject of inquiry other
than as touched on in this govern
ments reply TO the order in council.
The long lapse of news between the
actual seizures at KirkWall and the
reports to the state department from
the prize court were the causes which
led this government to ask for rep
resentative at that port.
VIII Take Up Reply.
The reply OF the administration to
Great Britain's order in council will
be finally discussed at the cabinet
meeting Friday and Immediately
thereafter dispatched to Sir Edward
Grey.
1t is learned that the note admits
1T IS impossible to demand from Great
Britain a strict definition and delimi-
tatiOn of a blockade and that this
government itself is not able to make
such definition.
The note makes a stronger presen-
tation of facts as to the trade of
America with neUtrals and unlock
AIDED ports than was made in the De-
cember note Of this government to
Sir Edward Grey.
New and forcible arguments have
been utilized by the administration to
show Great Britain's disregard for the
rights of American commerce in the
pending cases of the Wilhelmina and
the Mamarcas
The Mamarcas case originated in a
seizure of the vessel at Kirkwall
about month ago. Since that time
this government has not been able to
get any definite information with
-espect to the vessels detention.
>Saference is made TO the secrecy with
1nlch detentiOns are made at Kirk
vail, from which the consuls of other
nations apparently are excluded
The Wilhelmina and her cargo has
been tied up for many weeks and
the United States has not been able
to get the case expedited in court.
This government has pointed out to
the British admiralty that the cargo
is deteriorating. The reply has been
that if that is so, it could be sold,
but there has been no effort made by
Great Britain TO hasten the proceed
ings.
The practice Of Great Britain at
Kirkwall and the circumstances in
the Wilhelmina case are in direct
conflict it is pointed out, with the
reply OF Sir Edward Grey to the De-
cember note in which he asserted that
due expedition was being taken in all
cases and that United States COM
merce was not suffering.
One OF those VINO helped TO frame
the new note says. that, eliminating
the blockade except as to ports in
actual German territory, there was
nothing left to this government ex-
cept again to warn Great Britain Of
the hardships imposed by the order
in council on American trade with
neutral ports.
The note takes absolute issue with
the British government on the doc
trine of goods TO order and TO enc
my destination
This government asks Great Britain
and the allies for an amelioration of
the terms of the order in council and
such modification as will remove the
existing objections.
There is no threat of a reprisal.