vessel and cargo to be sent on to Australia for adjudication, it is believed here that this will not be done. Consequently each individual American shipper or his Australian customer will, greatly to the detriment of American trade, in addition to the inconvenience and loss resulting from delayed delivery of American wares shipped before the beginning of war and themselves perfectly innocent in character and destination, have to pay South African lawyers' fees (see my despatch No. 59 of October 8), prize-court fees and Admiralty charges (see my despatch No. 71 of October 22), docking costs, storage at Cape Town, and additional freights and insurance. In my opinion, this is not only unnecessary but distinctly unjust. I therefore venture to suggest for the consideration of the Department, the possible advisability of taking the matter up with the British Government with a view to securing what the Australian Government, acting in behalf of our Australian customers, has thus far failed to secure, namely fair treatment of the simple question of justice and right which is now withheld for technical reasons. Several of the American shippers have informed me that their shipments consist of samples upon which the coming season's trade depends. Other shipments consist of railway materials for government-owned railways in Australia. Naturally our British competitors may prefer that future orders for such materials be placed in Great Britain, but it does not seem to be in accordance with the principle of British fair play that our trade should be obstructed by needlessly holding up samples and materials indefinitely at a port. to which they were not consigned and from which they could be forwarded without serious risk to a British destination which was honestly fixed prior to the outbreak of war. In support of some of the above views, I enclose a paraphrase of articles appearing in the October number of the Cape Town Chamber of Commerce Monthly Journal.1 I have [etc.] GEORGE H. MURPHY File No. 300.115/1834 The Ambassador in Great Britain (Page) to the Secretary of State No. 1297] [Telegram] AMERICAN EMBASSY, London, December 18, 1914. [Received 9.50 p. m.] I have just received the following memorandum from the Foreign Office: The United States Government have made representations to His Majesty's Government on behalf of the owners of cargo on board the German S. S. Schneefels which was captured when on a voyage to the United State and has not been condemned as prize of war at Gibraltar.' The cargo owners are extremely anxious that, in order to avoid the difficulties and expense attending on the transshipment of their cargo at Gibraltar, the ship should be sent on with her cargo to her original port of destination in the United States. His Majesty's Government, being anxious to assist the United States citizens in *terested so far as possible, have placed themselves in communication with those representing their interests and have now practically completed the necessary arrangements for enabling the ship to complete her voyage and to deliver the cargo to the owners at the port of destination, although this ship having been condemned as good prize to the Crown is now the property of His Majesty's Government. The voyage on which she will proceed is, of course, a purely commercial voyage taken in the interests of the American cargo owners and His Majesty's Government feel confident that in these circumstances the Schneefels will not when in United States waters be subjected to any disabilities which might attach to a public ship. While His Majesty's Government do not suggest for one moment that the United States Government have any intention of applying such disabilities to the Schneefels, they feel that as the completion of her voyage to the American port to which she was bound could not have been arranged without the consent of His Majesty's Government, the United States Government will be willing to assure them that no difficulties of the nature indicated will be raised during the stay of the ship in United States waters. AMERICAN AMBASSADOR The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Great Britain (Page) [Telegram] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, January 12, 1915. 944. Your 1297, December 18. Delay in answer occasioned by necessity of consulting Departments Justice and Commerce. Department Commerce replies no reason why this vessel should not be treated as any other merchant vessel upon arriving, her cargo to be entered as required by American customs laws. If necessary to consummate arrangements for Schneefels and cargo to come forward, you may say to Foreign Office this Government has no objection to according same treatment as to other merchant vessels and has no intention of applying disabilities which might apply to a public ship.1 BRYAN EMBARGOES AND RELATED RESTRICTIONS ON TRADE BY EUROPEAN NEUTRAL STATES File No. 300.115/755a The Acting Secretary of State to the Minister in the Netherlands (Van Dyke) [Telegram] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, October 9, 1914. 33. Department has received information from several sources that the Holland-America Steamship Line announces that it will not accept cargo for Dutch ports unless consigned to Netherlands Government with previous permission of Netherlands Government to ship. Consul General, London, 7th instant, cabled that shipment of oil cake on steamers Rotterdam and Potsdam detained by British 'The ship sailed February 3, 1915. 2 "Not printed. Government, would be permitted to go forward and that board of trade rules officially that no steps will be taken to prevent oil cake arriving in Holland. Action of Holland-America Line has blocked shipments to Dutch ports. Advise Department reasons for this action by steamship line and whether same is based upon some action of Netherlands Government. Spencer Kellogg and Sons, Buffalo, have consignments of oil cake for shipment on steamer Ryndam sailing 13th and ask assistance to [sic] their agent, Goossens Van Rossem, Rotterdam, in securing permission to ship. Department has been informed through British Embassy that British Government intend to revise their proclamation with regard to contraband and that meanwhile goods such as foodstuffs in neutral ships consigned to Holland, in respect of which the Netherlands Government have placed an embargo on exportation, will not be treated as contraband or detained on that ground. Furnish Department at once all information you have respecting embargo by Netherlands Government against reexportation of goods. Repeat to Rotterdam for like action. LANSING File No. 300.115/725 The Minister in the Netherlands (Van Dyke) to the Secretary of State AMERICAN LEGATION, The Hague, undated. [Received October 11, 11 p. m.] 44. Replying your 33, Foreign Minister says Government will receive oil cakes as consigned. Holland-America Line for present will ship only goods consigned to Government and which may not be exported. List of exports prohibited follows soon. VAN DYKE File No. 600.569/8 The Minister in the Netherlands (Van Dyke) to the Secretary of State [Telegram]. AMERICAN LEGATION, The Hague, October 12, 1914. [Received 11.10 p. m.] 45. Department's 33. Netherlands Government prohibits export following articles: All cereals, grains and flour, sugar, molasses, sugar beets, straw, hay, folder, salt, cotton, jute, flax, wool, coal, coke, patent fuel, copper, gold, leather, hides, siliculose fruits, medicaments and wound-dressing materials except theobromine, diuretinum, quinine, quinine alkaloid, quinquina bark and products 1 containing it, cocaine, cubebs, nitrate of sodium, ether, acetone, sulphuric acid, machine oil and grease, automobile parts and tires, petrol, carriages, motor cycles, horses except foals, ammunition, powder, surgical instruments, timber for mines, liquid explosives, men's worsted waistcoats, drawers, socks, gloves, barbed wire, empty sacks.1 VAN DYKE File No. 300.115/725 The Acting Secretary of State to the Minister in the Netherlands (Van Dyke) [Telegram] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, October 15, 1914. 39. Your telegram No. 44 is not understood by Department. What is meant by statement, Netherlands Government will receive oil cakes as consigned? Does it relate to single shipment referred to in Department's telegram No. 33, October 9, or is Netherlands Government willing to have oil cakes which any shipper may desire to send to Holland, as well as other articles, consigned to the Government so that the steamship line will accept such shipments? Must goods, in order to be received by Holland-America Line, first be consigned to Government, and secondly, not be intended for exportation from the Netherlands? Department desires a full and concise reply to its telegram of October 9. Report at once by telegraph. American cotton shippers are desirous of promptly ascertaining whether Netherlands authorities would prevent exportation of cotton shipped to Holland and destined for Germany. Investigate this matter and report by telegraph. LANSING File No. 300.115/803 The Minister in the Netherlands (Van Dyke) to the Secretary of State AMERICAN LEGATION, The Hague, October 16, 1914. [Received 10.15 p. m.] 47. Your 39, 15th. Every separate shipment must be consigned to Netherlands Government with consent given by Dutch Consul General, New York. Goods in order to be received by Holland-America Line must be consigned to Government and not intended for reexportation. 1The list in full, which is very long, was received on November 11, in a despatch from the Consul General in Rotterdam, October 24 (File No. 600.569/10), not printed. It is fairly well rendered in this abbreviated form, except that a better reading for the item siliculose fruits" would appear to be "leguminous vegetables." This was the fourth list received, the first being given by the Consul General in Rotterdam in a telegram of August 20, not printed. Referring to my 44 and 45 answering your 33, I have already in formed you that exportation of cotton and fodder, including oil cake, is forbidden by Government. Cotton shipped to Holland and intended for Germany is in transit, which Netherlands Government does not forbid, but such shipments are at the shipper's risk. VAN DYKE File No. 165.009/9a The Acting Secretary of State to the Minister in Norway (Schmedeman)1 [Telegram] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, October 16, 1914. American cotton shippers are desirous of ascertaining whether Norwegian authorities would prevent exportation of cotton, which is not contraband, shipped from the United States to Norway and destined for Germany. Investigate this matter promptly and report by telegraph. LANSING File No. 165.009/10 The Minister in Sweden (Morris) to the Secretary of State [Telegram] AMERICAN LEGATION, Stockholm, undated. [Received October 17, 1914, 7.45 p. m.] Department's October 16 repeated from Christiania. Swedish authorities will not prevent passage through Sweden of cotton shipped here from United States via Norway or Denmark, but will not allow export to Germany of direct shipments from United States to Swedish ports. MORRIS File No. 165.009/11 The Minister in Denmark (Egan) to the Secretary of State [Telegram] AMERICAN LEGATION, [Received 5 p. m.] Your 16th. Danish authorities at present have no objection to exportation to Germany of cotton from United States if on through bill of lading but cannot guarantee continuance of this attitude. AMERICAN MINISTER 'The same, mutatis mutandis, to the Ministers in Sweden and Denmark and the Ambassador in Italy (No. 61). |