Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-01-12
PLAN TO SEIZE DACTA
WILL BRING ANOTHER
U. S. BRITISH TANGLE
Great Britain Determined to
Test Transfer of Registry
in Ship Bought From
Germans.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 12.-The steam
ship Dacia, of the Hamburg-American
Line, which was sold to Edward N.
Breitung, OF Marquette, Mich, and placed
In American registery under the newly
enacted emergency registry law, will be
seized on the high seas and taken before
British prize court. Definite informa-
tion to this effect has reached Washing
ton.
The seizure of the Dacia will bring to
an Issue one of the most important ques-
tions that has been raised with respect to
neutral shipping since the outbreak of
the war in Europe. 1t will be handled
as test case, and upon It's ultimate
outcome will depend the decision whether
the fleet of German merchant vessels
now tied up at New York and other
American ports can be sold to American
owners, transferred to the American flag
and then used in trade with Europe over
the routes to Germany they have trav-
ersed in the past.
The Dacia is now flying the American
flag. She is at Galveston loading cot
ton. She is scheduled to sail from Gal
weston next Friday. 1t is understood
that her destination will be Bremen In
formation reaching Washington tonight
is to the effect that the steamship will
not reach Bremen, but will be halted at
sea, taken into a British port, and
brought before British prize court. It
Is the intention of the British Govern
ment to leave the settlement of the issue
primarily to the decision of its prize
court.
Should the prize court rule that the
Dacia was transferred in an absolutely
bona fide way to the American flag, and
that the transfer was not in violation
of the Declaration of London, and per-
mits the Dacia to proceed to Bremen,
1t Is altogether probable that the owners
of the Dacia and its cargo will be en-
titled to reparation and damages from
the British Government for unwarranted
seizure and detention. Should the prize
court hold the ship other and more diff
ficult problems may arise.
The British Ambassador in informal
conversations with American orficials re-
garding the new American registry law
has repeatedly intimated that his Gov
ernment would test the bona f1de char
acter of any German transfer to Amer
lean registry and regard 1t as invalid
If the steamer transferred continued on
the same trade route as before, or If it
sailed to its original port.
1t is believed here that the new own
ers Of the vessel are prepared for event.
ualitles, and will be ready to contest the
validity of the seizure.
LONDON, jan 12.-Judging from Amer
lean dispatches to the newspapers here,
the British attitude concerning the Dacia
is not understood In the United States.
The Morning Post says the British Gov
ernment is still investigating the trans
fer, and points to the great danger to
Britain's welfare through the transfer of
German ships to the American flag, wind
ing up with the suggestion that such
speedy ships as the Vaterland could
through transfer of registry become COM
merce destroyers.
The position taken by the British Gov
ernment is that II the Dacia or any
other German ship transferred to Amer
lean registry, engages in trade with Ger
many, she will be seized, something al
ready known to the Washington Govern
ment.
President Wilson'S statement in his
Indianapolis speech, blaming the high
freight rates on lack of tonnage, is
considered faulty here. General condi-
tions, more particularly high insurance
costs are considered the real reason OF
the advanced charges.