Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-07-08
Scandinavian and Other Neu-
trails to Know What They
Can Get in U. S.
REGULATIONS SOON
WILL BE ANNOUNCED
Cost Of Living in This Country May
Be Brought Down-Action Has
Deep Political Significance.

President Wilson intends to issue
forthwith a proclamation declaring an
! embargo on supplies such as have been
shipped in great volume to the bel
! ligerents and neutrals in Europe. 1t is
expected that the document will be
made public tomorrow. and that it will
be general in its nature. including en-
bargoes not only on grain, but on
meats, fuel, etc. The proclamation, 1t
was explained in official circles last
night, will precede rules and regula-
tions which are to follow in a few days.
and which will outline just what the
Scandinavian and other neutral coun-
tries are to get in future from the
United States.
President Wilson had a conference on
the subject of the proclamation yester-
day with Herbert c. Hoover, who Is to
be the food administrator OF the coun-
try. and Secretary Houston Of the Agri-
cultural Department. Later these off,
cials conferred with trade experts of
the British embassy, and afterward
with officials of the State Department,
to straighten out a number Of details
Will Act as Warning.
The proclamation. which officials of
the government expect to be of the
most far-reaching effect in the cam
paign to bring down the cost Of living
in the United States, will serve as a
warning to all interested as to what Is
to come pending the issuance of the
rules and regulations. The action to be
taken by the President will be under
the recently enacted espionage law.
following the passage of which an
tails of which are now being worked
out in the Department of Commerce
under DR.. Pratt, chief of the bureau
Of foreign and domestic commerce. and
for the execution of which 1t is ex
pected about 800 employees will have
Political Significance.
Aside from the expectation that an.
embargo on food. fuel. etc. will bring
down the cost OF living in the United
States. deep international political sig
nifcance attaches to the first step in
the embargo plan, because there have
been constant reports that the allies
have been endeavoring to induce the
Scandinavian neutrals to join them in
the war on pain of having their sup
plies shut off. Just what effect the
embargo will have on the Scandinavian
neutrals cannot be forecast The orig
inal plans for the embargo. however,
provided that the United States should
supply it's needs first, with grain,
fuel, etc: that the allies with which
the United States is now associated in
the war should be supplied second. and
third, or, in other words. that the
neutrals should have what is left, II
any"
Neutral nations have foreseen the pos
sibility of an embargo on shipments Of
lfoodstuffs, particularly of grains, from
this country. and they have sought to
forestaH it. by presenting their case
to this government and by propaganda
through newspapers.
Norway Sending Mission.
Especially active have been the un-
official representatives Of Denmark and
Holland, who have claimed that stop
United States was designed to offer
them the alternative of starvation or
declaring war on the central powers
and suffering fate similar to that Of
Belgium. Norway Is sending a mission
here. headed by DR.. Fritdjof Nansen.
arctic explorer, and one Of the main
purposes of this mission. it Is under
stood. is to urge this government to
foodstufs here.
1t is known that the British mission
when in Washington laid before off,
cials of this government extensive data
grain shipped to neutrals to Germany
Since then other data has been sent
here direct from Lord Robert Cecil.
| British minister of blockade. Lord
Cecil is quoted in recent dispatches as
| saying. "The foodstuffs obtained (by
Germany from Holland and Denmark
alone must be measured In hundreds
of thousands Of tons. while the min
! eral and fish exports of the Scandi-
navian nations are of vital importance
to Germany"
| Gets Mass Of Figures.
/ Officials OF the government, and
have been in conference with trade
experts connected with the British
| embassy here While not seeking to
| influence the course OF this country,
Lord Eustace Percy and others have
placed in the possession of this gov
ernment mass Of figures dealing with
(, the shipments OF neutrals into Ger
many. Meanwhile the Department Of
Commerce has prepared exhaustive In
formation about the exports Of this
country to Norway. Sweden. Denmark
and Holland. which will be made pub
| lie tomcAow morning
One of the allied demands made upon
the United States for coal is that from
Italy. Fuel was emphasized by tho
Italian mission members as Italy's chief
| need. and 1t is understood that II was
pointed out by them that the fuel being
! shipped to neutrals could be employed
| to the allies' advantage in helping tho
| Italian factories to make munitions
and supplies for tho Alpine fighting Of
tie italian troops. Italian envoys
frankly put before this government
their belief that the allied nations
needs should be given preference. both