Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-05-28

the South African war; in the case
OF the German mail steamers Bun
desrath and General, by Japan and
substantially BY Russia, in the Russo
Japanese war OF 1904 And even IN
the present war, as the memorandum
OF Great Britain and France states,
their enemy, Germany. has desistcd
from the practice OF interfering with
neutral mails, even on board bellig-
erent steamers. This is illustrated by
the case Of the French steamer
Floride, captured By the auxiliary
cruiser Prinz Eitel Friedrich, cited
by the British and French govern
ments in support of their argument
regarding parcel mails. In this case
the letter mails OF the Floride,
amounting to l44 sacks, were for
warded TO their destination by the
commander at the first opportunity
on arriving in the United States II
would seem, therefore, TO be cor
clusively established that interfer-
ence with mails Of which this gov
eminent Justly complains are wronG
i'll principle and practice.
Brings Disaster to Americans.
The arbitrary methods employed by
the British and French governments
have resulted most dissstrously to
citizens OF the United States. I'm
portant papers which never can be
duplicated, or can be duplicated
only with great difficulty, such
as United States patents for in
ventions, rare documents, legal papers
relating to the settlement of estates,
powers of attorney, fire insurance
claims, income tax returns, and SINH
lar matters have been lost. Delays
in receiving shipping documents have
caused great loss and inconvenience
by preventing prompt delivery OF
goods. In the case OF the MacNiff
Horticultural company OF New York,
large shipments OF plants and bulbs
from Holland were, | am informed,
frozen on the wharves because pos
session could not be obtained in the
absence of documents relating to
them which had been removed from
the Nieu Amsterdam, Oosterdyk, and
Rotterdam. Business opportunities
are lost by failure to transmit
promptly bids, specifications and con-
tracts. The Standard Underground
Cable company Of Pittsburgh, for ex-
ample, sent by a mail a tender and
specifications for certain proposed
electrical works TO be constructed in
Christiania; after several weeks Of
waiting, the papers having failed 10
arrive, the American company was
told that the bids could not be longer
IL Al aa
awarded to British competitor.
Checks, drafts and money orders, Sc
curities and similar property are lost
or detained for weeks and months.
Bother for Government.
Business correspondence relating to
legitimate and bonafide trade between
neutral countries, Jurisprudence OF
personal nature, and also certain
official correspondence, such as
money order lists and other MATES
forwarded by government depart
ments are detained, lost or possibly
destroyed. For instance, the post
master-general informs me that Ger
tain international money order lists
from the United States to Germany,
Greece and other countries, and from
Germany to the United States, sent
through the mails, have not reached
their destination, though despatched
several months ago. 1t was neces-
sary to have some Of these lists dupli-
Gated and again dispatched by the
steamship Frederick VIII, which
sailed from New York on April 10,
and from which all the mails intended
for Germany have been taken and
held in British jurisdiction.
As a further example OF the delay
and loss consequent upon the British
practice, the postmaster general also
sends me a copy of letter from the
British postal administration, admit
ting that the mails we're removed from
the steamer Medan in The Downs on
July 80, last, and not forwarded until
some time between February and
March q" and that 1872 bags Of these
mails were lost during transmission
to Holland on February 70, by the
Dutch steamship Mecklenburg." The
Medan arrived safely at Rotterdam a
day or two after it left The Downs.
Will Claim Reparation.
Numerous complaints similar to the
foregoing have been received by this
government, the details OF which are
available, but | believe have cited
sufficient facts TO show the unpre-
cedented and vexatious nature Of the
interference with mails persisted in