Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 201, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 August 1916 — BRITISH SEARCH AMERICAN SHIPS [ARTICLE]

BRITISH SEARCH AMERICAN SHIPS

Cargoes Consigned to Blacklisted Firms Are Seized. Washington, August 22.—The state department has been informed that British cruisers in the Pacific have intercepted merchant ships bound for American ports with cargoes owned or believed to be owned by Anna on the British blacklist. This is the first instance reported to the state departmen of the arrest of ships and removal therefrom of goods under the provisions of the blacklist decree. Department officials said the interference with the American commerce occurred in the Pacific ocean and that the vessels were destined to the Philippine islands. They believe it forecasts Great Britain’s intention of extending her practice under the trading with the enemy act to include the seizures of cargoes bound for ports in the United States. It is considered practically certain that -Great Britain’s reply to the American blacklist protest will be a reassertion of its claimed right to war upon American bommeree wherever shat commerce is conducted by firms whose names are on the allies’ blacklist. * It was stated that British cruiesrs are patrolling the waters near Penang, west of the Malay Peninsula, on the. route to the Philippines. It was in these waters that vessels with cargoes consigned to persons in the Philippines were arrested and goods of alleged blacklist connection confiscated. The official who gave this information said: “This new phase of Britain’s conduct is based on two grounds: First, Great Britain has not settled with us with the principle cf the blacklist; second, Great Britain seemingly asserts the right to stop neutral vessels and take off so-called ‘tainted’ cargoes. By the same logic she can stop American ships and take off cargoes consigned to American firms whose names are on the black list. “It is obvious that there is no trading blacklisted firms vessels of any nationality. The gravest issue in this controversy, therefore, is close at hand. It is absolutely certain that whatever we intend to say to Great Britain on the principle of the blacklist must be more to the point ?md more vigorous. “We must demand that she tell us whether or not she proposes to stop by force trading between American ports and the Philippines, which are a part of our own country.”