The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-09-16
BRITISH DRAW
 TIGHTER LINES ON J. 5. FOODS
Refusal of Letters of Ship ment to North Amounts
 to Prohibition.

London, Sept. 16-Great Britain's 8 latest extension of her regulations over neutral sea trade, was explained yesterday by Lord Robert Cecil, For eign Trade Minister, as intended to have only a limited scope and effect.
 It had appeared that the British government, by it's new policy, arro- gated to itself complete control over all sea borne traffic between the United States and the neutral nations of Northern Europe Licenses to trade with these European neutrals had al- ready been refused to British export CTS, and this refusal was virtually ex- tended to American traders also.
 This was accomplished in the case of Holland by refusing permission to the Netherlands Overseas Trust. which under British supervision has charge of all imports into Holland, to accept any further American con- signments So far as the other neutral countries are concerned it was an- nounced that in future letters of as- surance would be refused American shippers to these countries.
 Amounts to . Prohibition
 While this latter course has no legal standing it amounts to prohibition because without the letters of assur- ance by the British government a shipment is virtually certain to be seized, taken into a British port and held for the prize court.
 Even although the shipper wins his case in the prize court, past experi- ence with that institution has shown American shippers they are sure to face a ruinous delay there, and efforts in the past to collect demurrage charges from the British government cent cargoes have indicated small chance of redress in that direction. The withholding of the letters of as- surance, consequently, is likely to de- ter any merchant shipowner from &C., cepting her cargo.
 Lord Robert Cecil, however, stated yesterday that this course would only be adopted in cases of certain prohib- ited articles, aS1d that Great Britain was merely applying to the United States the same rules she had already enforced against British exporters. He explained that articles are placed on the prohibited list for any one of the four Northern European neutral coun- tries, only when import figures show that that country has already import ed more than her normal years sup ply of that article-hence indicating that further shipments must really be destined for Germany.
 Protest From U. S. Expected.
 The new British plan is expected to be the subject of searching inquiry ivy the United States government. It is considered probable, also, that Washington will have something to say regarding the recent reciprocal licensing bureaus for trade in pro- hibited articles established by Eng land and France, to the exclusion of Americans
 Secretary for War Lloyd George is sued a statement yesterday declaring that his speech in the House of Com mons on Aug. 8, regarding the work ings of the censorship. had been dis torted in America to nnake it appear American firms had been betrayed by man propagandists.
 w Hen OFundLlOn IS passed on Dy the censorship to other departments" |" he said, "it is for the sole purpose of guiding the action of the govern ment in the conduct of the war. We affirm, and challenge any one to deny it, that honest business interests and trade secrets of an American mer- chant or manufacturer are as safe in the hands of the military censors, and of every other government depart ment, as they are in the hands of the post offlce."
 Think There's Some Mistake.
 At the Foreign Office yesterday it was, said no official information has been received of the reported incident of the searching of the American steamer Cebu in American territorial waters in the Philippines D is the British view that there is some mis- take about this case, but that if it Is shown British officer was in error the proper amends will promptly be made.
 The Swedish governments reply to the representations of the Eentente Ministers concerning Swedish meas-