New Britain herald., 1916-07-25
BRITAIN'S MESSAGE
 ID U. s. IGNORED
Page, in London, Urged to Spur England to Quick, Complete Reply

Washington, July 25.-The British governments memorandum respond ing in part to the complaints of the United States over the detention Of ocean mails will not be answered by this government until a complete re- ply to the American representations has been received at the state de- partment. In making public the text of the memorandum the state depart ment let it be known that the only action taken by the department with respect to the memorandum was to instruct the American ambas- sador in London to make another re- quest that the British government ex- pedite the sending of it's formal re- sponse to the American cOmmunica- tion concerning the detentions. This was the second call on Great Britain ? for an answer.
 The memorandum is not a formal diplomatic note. It was addressed to Ambassador Page, and, as it's text shows, was intended merely as a pre- liminary statement in regard to some of the complaints made by the United
  follow until Great Britain has submit ted it to her allies.
 The memorandum is devoted main ly to reviewing a few specific in stances of mail detention charged by this government. According to Great Britain, the United States failed to give specifications in most of the cases complained of. In answering four alleged instances of mail deten- ton the British government goes into detail, presenting data which it con- tends show that the American com plaints in these instances are not fully justified.
 Herewith is the text of the British 1 memorandum as given out by the i state department:
 Four Specific Instances.
 "The reply of the allied govern | ments to the note addressed by the i secretary of state of the United States ] to his majesty's am bassador at Wash l ington on May 24 regarding the exam- ination of mails on neutral ships will 1 be communicated to the government of the United States as soon as the arguments contained in that note have been fully considered by the allied governm ents in consultation. Since, however, the note contains in para graph certain specific instances af- fecting the conduct of the work of examination by the British censorship his majestys governme ent desires to deal with these instances in advance and in detail.
 Tn that paragraph allusiOn is made to a large number of complaints, Of which no particulars are given. Only four specific instances of these com plaints are cited, and they are put for ward in a form, which, in the ab- sence of any of the details which his majesty's government have repeatedly asked for IS necessary to identify and trace the occurrences mplained of, makes it difficult to investigate them. The following facts have, however, been ascertained in regard to them: ., "MacNif Horticultural Company, New York-1t is stated that the ship ping documents relating to perishable goods for this firm were removed 1 from the New Amsterdam, Costerdijk, | and Rotterdam. The mails on these 1 three ships were removed for exam 1nation on Feb. 10 Feb. 17 and Feb 25, respectively. The mails from the New Amsterdam were forwarded i again, part by the Cedric on Feb. IT l and part by the Lapland on Feb. 25; i the mails on the Costerijk were for l