The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-05-23
All Conferences With Brit ish Officials in Reference to Informal Trade Ar engagements Suspended
ARRANGEMENTS MADE THROUGH ADVISERS PURELY INDIVIDUAL
Step Taken to Show Great
 Britain That Blockade of Neutrals Will Not Be Tolerated by This Country


 Washington. Nay 22.-The detcrmIn- ntion of the United states government not to recognize or he bound by the provisions Of the British order in coun- 1 cil which declared mn embargo on aIi commercial intercourse directly with Germany ns well us inward or outward bound through neutral countries, was unaffected In several ways today. The foreign trade advisers of the state department announced that they had de- cided to suspend all conferences with British embassy officials here with ref erence to the informal arrangements which had been In progress not only to assist American cotton exports in oh- taining payment for cargoes detained but also to secure for American importers American owned goods now in Germany contra cted for before the order in council went into effect. Secretary ,ryan said this step had been taken in order to se- cure better understa ndins with the British government as to the capacity in which the foreign trade advisers were acting
 Ambassador Page, at London. was in- strncted also to inquire of the British for elsn ofise the meaning of the statement made in their memorandum issued on Thursday that the terms of an arrange. nent between American cotton represen- tatives and the British government were ia In mi ment.
 Calls on Bryan
 Sir Cecil Spring Rice. the British am bassador here, called on Secretary Bryan during the day to explain that he also had always understood the United states government was not to be considered as having recognized the British order in council, irrespective of the assistance given the cotton shippers by the foreign trade advisers of the state department.
 The decision of the trade advisers to suspend their conferences, however. was reached before the British foreign office memorandum was issued and based on differences of practical character as to the shipment of American owned goods from Germany through neutral countries: some of which had been contracted for and some of which had even been paid for before the order in council was ls- sued
 While officials of the department were reticent concerning differences referred to by the trade advisers these are un- derstood 10 relate to correspondence be- tween British officials and the advisers offering a plan for the treatment of the American owned goods. Originally the tune limit for the shipment out of Ger many of American goods ordered before March l, was set for June l. but the British government announced that pe- riod had been extended until June l5.
 In granting that, British officials are understood to have referred to it as concession to the United States and this. as we'll as other features of the plan whereby American owned goods were to be shipped through neutral ports from Germany to the United States. were of such character as to cause the state department to believe that any acquiescence would be con strued as legal reduction of the Brit ish order in council
 Must Act Individually
 Until different understanding. is reached or the plan for the handling Of American owned goods Is vital1y changed. the foreign trade advisers will not participate in any confer ences on behalf of American importers or exporters Individuality American merchants can continue their negotia- tions with the British government.
 The trade advisers had sent out a circular to American merchants ex- changing the contents of the American rote of March 20. protesting against the British order in council and adding this statement.
 While the government of the Uni- ted states cannot in any way lend It's aid in an official and formal manner to procuring American owned goods now in Germany for the importers of the United States. which would ln the slightest degree amount to recogni- ton of the position of Great Britain in respect to noncontraband goods es- pecially from neutral ports. the office of the foreign trade advisers of the department will aid informally Amer ican importers who desire to present proof of ownership of American goods in Germany for which American lm- porters claim to have made payment prior to March 1, 1915"
 Another circular now Is in prepar- ation to advise shippers of the suspen- sion of conferences
 British embassy officials here are silent as to the causes of the difficulty and there Is some reason to expect a statement clarifying the situation from the British foreign office or through