Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-07-22
ENGLAND MAY MAKE
COTTON CONTRABAND
AND BUY ALL EXPORTED
Prize Court Told Seizure of
Cargoes Illegal-British
Fear Trouble With U. S.
Times Suggests Plan to
Solve Problem.
LONDON, July %.

LONDON. July %.
Sir Robert Finlay, arguing in the British
prize court today in the cases of the
American cargoes that had been seized at
sea, contended that goods could be con-
fiscated by the Government only in the
event where 1t was proved that It was
intended for the enemy by way OF con-
tlnuous passage. However, that did not
apply in the present case, he declared.
The cotton question is causing deep
concern in England, It being feared here
that sharp differences will develop be-
tween Great Britain and the United
States The Times publishes a warning
on the subject today, which says, in part:
along our present lines we are heading
straight for very sharp difference Of
opinion with the citizens and Government
of the United States. Such development
ought, II possible be avoided. If it Is
allowed to mature It means an inevitable
disturbance of American sentiment that
cannot be to our interests 1t means that
the United States might be hampered or
weakened In dealing with other Issues
from other quarters. 1t means that while
the war lasts an accompaniment OF dIplo-
matte friction, and when 1t is over an
aftermath of resentment and presentation
of bills for damages"
The Times then suggested the following
as way out of the difficulty:
simply to declare cotton contraband
and leave It at that will not, / submit,
meet the case. On the contrary. It will
aggravate the resentment of the South
and play directly into the hands of agi-
tators.
what is needed is a plan that will nD
prevent cotton from going into Germany;
(2) command the assent of the American
Government on the general question of
principle, and (3 satisfy the American
planters.
What. therefore. is here suggested. is
that the Government should:
"First-Put itself right with American
legal and official opinion by placing cot
ton on the contraband list
'Second-Purchase from Southern cot
ton exchanges the amount of cotton that
would normally have gone TO the central
empires.
This would involve an outlay of some
Sl50,oOO,Oo0, II we bought up at the same
time and on the same pre-bellum basis,
exports OF American cotton to Holland,
Denmark. Sweden, Norway and Switzer-
land, another 100000 or so would cover
the total expense.
The cotton so purchased, and the South
would inevitably insist on this stipulation.
would have to be stored by the British
Government and could not be resold to
our own spinners until the close of the
war II 1t Is used simply TO take the
place OF a similar amount that would
otherwise have been imported by British
mills the cotton growers would gain
nothing and the whole purpose OF the
plan would be defeated. The diversion
OF too much raw material from one
country to another must be additional to
and not instead OF orders placed In
Southern States by our private manu-
facturers.
1T must be an Offering from the British
Government TO American planters and
have nothing to do with the current flow
OF normal trade at a price OF 10 cents a
pound a price which admits or bare
pront 70 the producer, but considerably
less than r2 or IS cents he was receiving
before the war
such an arrangement as outlined
could without difficulty be negotiated"