Evening star., 1922-09-03
CONSULATE ISSUE
ST|RS NEWCASTLE
Shipping interests See Blow
to Business With U. S.
With Closure.
TRANSFERRED TO HULL
Sending Papers Expected to Cause
Days Delay to All Vessels
With Big Loss.
TRANSFERRED TO Hull
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
NEwCASTLE-ON-TY England.
September business and shipping
circles here were fairly seething with
excitement today over the closure OF
the American consulate, which bids
fair to strike a heavy blow to the
Tyne shipping business with America
and may also result in Tyne ships.
now stopping at American ports
being directed to Canada.
Officials here are deeply concerned
over the situation, and Lord Mayor
Mulligan intends to bring the whole
matter before the city council with
view to getting the consulate re-
opened. The Tyne Improvement COM
mission, which has official jurisdiction
over the whole Tyne shipping area,
also is taking action.
Blame Steamship Agents.
Municipal officials disclaim all
knowledge of any Investigation and
of the charges resulting in the with,
drawal of the exeQuaturs of Consul
Slater and Vice Consul Brooks. ON
cials today expressed intense surprise
over the whole affair, and the general
opinion in the business world seems
to be that the charges were preferred
~
who claimed unfair discrimination
against them by the consulate In IA
vor Of American lines.
News that the consular business at
Newcastle was being transferred to
Hull has served to add fuel to the al
ready considerable confagration, as
business men here claim that this will
mean not only a large monetary loss
but blow to the. city's prestige
Denjea A.y Duress.
The lord mayor, in discussing the
subject today with the correspond
ent, diselaimed all knowledge Of ir-
regularities at the consulate. The
correspondent was told today that
John W. Allison. who moved from
lanti, Mich, had made a striking at
fidavit in favor Of the consulate re-
Gently. He was said to have booked
passage on an American liner: at the
suggestion Of the consulate after
his wise was granted. Later he was
an affidavit saying he was forced to
book passage on the American line
in order to get his wise. This he de-
clined to do.
He reported the matter to Mr..
Slater. making an afndavit that he
nothing was said to him about the
passage before the wise was granted.
Slater Denies Tragedy.
The newspapers here are grasping
eagerly for any information bearing
on the case. The Yorkshire Post
published a remarkable article pur-
porting to be an interview with a
friend of Mr.. Slater, who said Mr..
Slater while at Riga married Rus
sian woman Of noble family who
accompanied him to new appoint
of No
to endure the climate there. said
the article, she returned to Russia
and her husband had not heard from
her since the revolution The article
also said Mr.. Slater had had q men
tai breakdown. for which q years
leave was granted.
Mr. SlateTs laughing response to
this article was that his wife was
born in illinois,; that he had never
been in Russia: that he had never
been granted leave on account OF Ill
ness, and that his only previous post
had been in Canada.
Must Lose Day.
The consul has received orders from
London that all invoices from. the
Newcastle district be passed by the
consul at Hull. No consular bills Of
health are required from ships sail.
ing from Newcastle for the United
States and all ships leaving the New
castle district must mail their crew
lists to the Hull consul for wise.
This is expected to cause q days de-
lay in sailings, entailing q monetary
loss estimated at from f100 to f200 q
day.
Sir William Noble Of Cairns, Noble
& Co., one Of the biggest business
men of this section and a large ship
owner, went further and told the
correspondent that shipping would be
diverted from this port to those hav-
ing consuls. He was inclined to won
der whether resentment against the
American ship subsidy bill had had
anything to do with the crisis. II SO.
he said, the British government
should disclaim any intention or de-
sire to interfere with the working OF
the subsidy bill.