File No. 300.115/6619
The Ambassador in Great Britain (Page) to the Secretary of State
No. 2745]
London,
December 28, 1915.
[Received January 13,
1916.]
Sir: With reference to previous
correspondence2
in regard to the steamship Esrom and to
various items of her cargo which the British authorities have
ordered to be placed in the prize court, I now have the honor to
enclose herewith for the information of the Department
[Page 660]
a copy of a note addressed
to the Foreign Office by the Embassy on December 13 in this regard
together with a copy of the reply received from the Foreign Office
under date of the 25th instant, in which the attitude of the British
Government in reference to the cargo of this vessel is set
forth.
I have [etc.]
[Enclosure 1]
The American Ambassador (Page) to the British
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Grey)
London,
December 13, 1915.
Sir: I have the honor to enclose
herewith, for your consideration, a copy of a letter which I
have received from the representatives of an American firm,
John H. Graham and Company, New York
and San Francisco, with branches in London, England, and Sydney,
New South Wales, with reference to two consignments of
non-contraband hardware shipped by them on board the steamship
Esrom to two of their customers in
Copenhagen.1
It is stated in this letter that upon the seizure of the Esrom by His Majesty’s authorities the
goods shipped by Graham and Company were released, and that the
Company was informed that the goods were free to proceed to
their destination, but that His Majesty’s authorities refused to
accept any liability for the cost of forwarding these goods.
In this connection I desire to call your attention to the fact
that the Consul at Hull has reported to me that a quantity of
cargo of American ownership which was shipped on board the
above-mentioned vessel has not been seized by His Majesty’s
authorities, but has been discharged from the vessel by their
order and warehoused for the account of whom it may concern
pending the receipt of further instructions.
Inasmuch as I feel confident that His Majesty’s Government
desires in no way to inflict unnecessary hardship upon the
American owners of non-contraband cargo which, through no fault
of the owners, was shipped on board a vessel which has been
seized in Great Britain, I should be grateful if you would be so
good as to cause to issue such instructions as are necessary in
order that the above-mentioned American goods may be sent
forward to their appropriate destinations without cost of the
shipment falling upon the innocent shippers.
I have [etc.]
[Enclosure 2]
The British Secretary of State for Foreign
Affairs (Grey) to
the American Ambassador (Page)
No. 109065/T]
London,
December 25, 1915.
Your Excellency: I duly received your
note of the 13th instant respecting certain consignments of
goods shipped on the S. S. Esrom which
has been seized as prize by the British naval authorities and
will be brought before the prize court for adjudication.
In reply I have the honour to inform your excellency that save
only in the case of certain contraband articles found on board,
His Majesty’s Government have no intention of interfering with
the cargo of the Esrom which however it
became necessary to discharge in consequence of the seizure of
the vessel. With a view of affording all possible facilities to
the owners to recover their goods as conveniently and speedily
as possible arrangements have been made whereby such goods will
be delivered to the claimants on production of the bills of
lading, or a satisfactory indemnity against all claims for each
consignment. As regards the reshipment of the goods it will be
for the parties concerned to make their own arrangements.
With respect to the expenses incurred owing to the detention and
the reshipment and carriage of goods to their original
destination in such cases, I beg to
[Page 661]
state that His Majesty’s Government are
prepared as a special concession and without admitting any
liability to do so, to defray the expenses in connection with
the discharge of such cargo incurred up to the time when the
owners take delivery of the goods in this country, but not
beyond, and this only to the extent to which such expenses
exceed any amount which the owners may have been saved in
freight, i. e., the difference between the original freight and
that from this country to the original destination, if the
former has not been paid in advance.
I have [etc.]
For
Sir Edward Grey
:
W. Langley
