The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-05-21
Explanatory Memorandum Citing Incidents of Re straint of Cargoes
 Is Issued
ALL COTTON CARGOES DETAINxo WILL BE
 BoUQSy AT ONCE
Documer go IS Into Detail of seiz- ures S laim-No Unwarranted Terence Has Been
 Indulged In

Indulged In
 London. May c0.-(5:45 D. m. p----Im m effort to correct what the government believes to he a misunderstanding of Great Britaiu's attitude toward Amer lean ships and American cargoes in other neutral bottoms detained under the order In council, the foreign of- flee has issued mn explanatory menor- andum.
 This explanation is supplemented by statement that cotton cargoes, which the government agreed to purchase under the cotton agreement, have all been bought by the government and that actual de- tails concerning the payment only await proof of ownership and papers showing the actual contract price. It is explained that as most of these papere must come from the United States there will still be some unavailable delays before the owners of the cotton get their money.
 The memorandum of the foreign office follows:
 'l There are at the present moment three American ships detained in this country. Two of them are cotton ships, which are dealt with below. The third is the steamer Joseph w. Fordney. This vessel, with a cargo of foodstuffs con signed to E. Klingener. at Malmo (swedenl was brought into kirkwall on April &. She had been sighted by his majesty $ ships about 10 miles from the Norwegian coast and had thereupon endeavored, with the evident desire to evade search, to escape rapidly into Norwegian territorial waters but without success.
 Consignee Not Identified t,sOn the vessel'c arrival ip Kirxwall in qulries were at once addressed to his maj esty's minister at Stockholm with regard to the consignee of the cargo, and a reply was received to the effect that no person l of that name could be identified at Malmo, though there was person Of | that name who resided al Gothenburg and l was manager of the Gothenburg branch of Hugo Hartvig and who had stated | that the consgnments addressed to him on board the Joseph w. Fordney were in | tended for storage in Malmo
 l 70 The suspicious conduct of the ves- | sel in endeavoring to evade his majesty s I patrols and the known connections Of l the consignee of her cargo have tended | to confirm other evidence which has come to the knowledge of his majesty's govern | ment that the foodstuffs were in reality | destined for Germany. It was accord ingly decided that the cargo must be placed in the prize court and the vessel is at present discharging at Portishead (England), on the completion of which operation she will be released.
 No Undue Interference
 His majesty's government feels satis- fled that in the circumstances of this case undue interference with American interest cannot with reason be imputed to them a The number of neutral vessels car rying American cargoes and at present held up is 36. Of these 2a carry cargoes | of American cotton. The United States government is aware that since the en- forcement of the blockade measures an nounced in the supplement to the Londor Gazette of the 18th of March last hls majestys government has acted as re
 gards shipments of American cotton 1T
 accordance with the provisions of an ar rangement arrived at in collaboration
 with representatives of the American cot lton interests The terms of the arrange ment are as follows:
 "A. All cotton for which contracts O
 sale and freight engagements alread! Il have been made before March 2, Is to b. allowed free transit or bought at thu
 contract price if stopped, provided th' ship sails not later than the 31st O March,.
 "B. Similar treatment is to be ac l corded all cotton insured before thu 2d of March, provided 1t Is put aboar'
 not later than the 18th of March. , "C. All shipments of cotton claiminl . the above protection are to be declare before sailing and documents produces and certificates obtained from consula officers or other authorities fixed b } the government.
 Provisions Acceptable
 "A In accepting this scheme. which, 3 may be noted, applies to shipments O , cotton for a neutral destination only the principal representative of tn ? American cotton interests described , to his majesty's ambassador at Wash lineton as conceding all that the Ameri can interests could properly ask. It wa never suggested that vessels or car 7 goes with an enemy destination shoul 1 be allowed to proceed His majesty government were moreover given to un l derstand that the provisions of the ar I1angements were acceptable to tn . United States government.
 "5 It is intended shortly to furnis
 A statement showing precisely wha | cargoes or portions of cargoes. hi e maiestys government have dealt wit
 under the above arrangement. and a |, regards those which they have decide |, to purchase at the contract price unde the terms of paragraph A of the al }, Irangement. Direct discussions have a, }. ready been opened with the special Ter !. resentatives of the American parties il if lterested in London
 "s. considerable portion of cotto
 has already been sold and arrange q ments are being made for handing owe
 the proceeds to the parties entitled !, receive the total value. as a first il stallment of the completed transaction : It is obvious that all these arrang, : ments require sometime for adjus ,- ment Meanwhile 1t Is not believed thi
 the original owners can, as appears |, be apprehended, be suffering acutely
 the delay of full payment. It is to l
 presumed that. in accordance with u ' customs of trade. the owners drew bil }. to the value of their goods before VI at the time of shipment. and if sut 2 bills have been negotiated in the usu;
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