Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1915-02-13

Galveston, Tex. 49, The steamship
Dacia put TO sea Sunday at noon. Tele
graphic orders from her owner to &C
arrived during the morning and she
put to sea few hours later.
The next development in the case OF
the Dacia probably will come from the
British cruisers reported to have been
assigned to take her in tow Captain
Mcdonald said he would steer the
usual course, and would make no eff
fort to avoid anyone. He fully expects
to be captured and taken before a
prize court, however.
The Dacia will go by way of Nor
folk, where she will taken on a supply
of coal sufficient 20 last for the round
trip.
The Dacia carries cargo of 1900
bales of cotton. valued at $SS0,000,
and which has been sold for $50 per
bale. or 16c per pound. laid down in
Bremen. The Dacia cleared for Rot
terdam, from where the cotton will
be transhipped. The cargo is insured
by the United States government bu
reau at per cent upon a valuation of
S75O0O0. The hull, upon which insur-
ance was denied by the government
Las been covered by a policy, under
stood TO have been executed abroad
at 20 per cent upon q valuation OF
$1G5,OOO.
The case of the Dacia has become
internationally famous because of the
recently announced decision by the
British admiralty to stop the steam
er and take her into q prize court,
on the allegation slat the sale of the
vessel by the Hamburg line
to her present owner was not bona
fide one. All preparations have been
made by the owner of the vessel to
protect his interests in a prize court
The matches of the vessel were sealed
by the collector of customs in Calves
ton, and Captain Mcdonald carries a
certificate to the effect that the YES
sci carries no contraband of war
Not only Great Britain, but France
as well, have given the American gov
eminent their views on changes of
registry in connection with various
phases of the questions that have de-
veloped since the outbreak of the war
with the Selling of the Brindilla and
the purchase Of the Dacia, which sail
ed Sunday from Galveston on a test
voyage with a noncontraband cargo
for a neutral port. But in accordance
with diplomatic usage the state de-
partment does not consider that any
thing that may have been said by for
eign governments in special cases OF
transfer of flag or on the general sub
ject applies to the purposes of the
pending bill, because the United
States government would be a party
to the transaction, whereas. in all pre-
vious cases considered, private inGivid-
uals alone have figured.
While no formal expressions have
come from Great Britain or France or
Russia, it is believed in many we'll in
formed quarters that an equal distri-
button of the American governments
purchases among British, French, Ger
man and Austrian ships would not
aeet with serious objection by the bel
ligerents.
The case of the Dacia, while differ
ent from that of purchases proposed
by the bill in so far as the American
government would become a party to
the transaction in the proposed law, is
of hn vi oh IF
change of flag after the outbreak of
hostilities.
Great Britain admittedly has de-
clared many such changes as legal and
her ruling in prize court on the Dacia
case will constitute an important pre-
cedent on which other governments
will argue in the future.