The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-09-16
AMERICAN CARGOES
 SEIZED BY BRITISH
 PRIZE COURT ORDER
Several Millions Dollars Worth Of Exports From United States, Taken on Norwegian Steamers, Is Condemned Only Small Proportion Released.
Court Holds That Goods Eventually Would Find
 Way Into Germany, For Cargoes Were More Than Three Times Amounts That Are Ordinarily Used.

Three Times Amounts
 That Are Ordinarily Used.
 London, Sept. 1e-The Brit fsh prize court today condemn ed the greater part of the Amer ican products forming the car- goes Of four steamships. The products, valued at several million dollars, areN declared forfeited to the Grown.
 The judgment was delivered by Sir Samuel T. Evans, presi-. dent of the court. It involves the cargoes of the Norwegian steamships Kim, Alfred Nobel Biornst jerne- -Bjornson and Fridiand. All the goods on these vessels, consisting prin- cipally of American meat pro- ducts, are confiscated with the exception of a small proportion which the court released to claimants.
 The case has been pending for sew era1 months. me stearnsla1p ps were seized last November ana although efforts were made by the American owners to obtain an early trial the British authorities set the hearing for June g. The hearing closed last month and judgment was reserved until today.
 In lengthy jud grnents Sir Samuel said it was plain these ships were carrying towards Copenhagen. when captured. more than Is times the amount Of goods which, under nor nal circunnstances, would have been taken to that port Thai 1acr gave practical and overwhelming assur- ance that the goods were intended to find their way to Germany Although of course. it did not prove concnus1ve- ly chat they were destined for an enemy of Great Britain.
 One circumstance throwing light on the real destination Of the goods. Sir Samuel said, was that the exp portation Of lard by one American company alone to Copenhagen in three weeks after the outbreak of the war was 20 times more than in periods Of peace. As to tins of canned meat, he said it had not been shown they had been cent to Denmark in any great quan- tdty before the war, yet hundreds of thousands were on the way when the vessels were captured. These tins, it seemed could not have been meant for any persons other than German soldiers.
 Referring to the consignments of rubber, described as gum. the presi- dent said:
 T have come to the conclusion that gum is not a true commercial de- scrfption for rubber and that it was used in the ships, rnanifests in order to avoid the difficulty which woulds re suit in its capture by a beIligerent- Any matter of this sort, while I sit against those who adopt those
 Neutral countries are expected to conduct their neutral trade during the war without the use of false pa pers and with candor and belliger ent countries expect from neutrals a frank course of conduct,' z
 Sir Samuel allowed one claim of a Danish nnanufacturer for a quantity of rubber, wnich he said had been shipped in good faith for use in his factory Another claim was disaI1ow- ee.
 The meat cargoes, shipped for the most part by the great American packing companies and valued by them at at SIS, ,oO0.0 900, were found by the president to be destined, ex- cept for some small items, not for consumption in Denmark but for de- livery in Germany He held that their eventual destination was the German government, for the use of it's naval and military forces To rule other wise, Sir Samuel said, would be 4sto allow ones eyes to be blinded by the ories and technicaIitiess
 The court disaflowea sixteen claims including those of the Morris, Ar nour. Swift and Sulzberger compa- niess It allowed eight claims. incIud- ing that of the cudahy Company, of Chicago. The others were Danish ronsignees
 Sir Samuel gave leave to appeal, fixing security for the costs at $25, ,OO0, divisibIe among the appellants. He also gave the Crown attorneys leave to appeal in the case of the Cudahy and other claims which were allowed
 MEAT CARGOEs TOTAL LOSS