File No. 763.72112/2514
The Edward Maurer Company, Inc., to the Secretary of State
Dear Sir: We beg to call your attention to the [action of] various steamship lines for South America in blacklisting a number of large [Page 384] import houses in Montevideo because they are of German origin, which interferes very seriously with our export business. We enclose herewith a circular sent out by the Lamport & Holt Line, advising shippers that hereafter all names must be given and intimating that any house which may be unacceptable to the British Government will be blacklisted.
We have done business for over 40 years with the house of Ernest Quincke, Montevideo, exporting for them large quantities of agricultural and hardware implements, and we now find that the name of this house seems to be on the black list and none of the steamship lines will accept freight for them.
We had a contract with the Houston Line for the steamer Helenus sailing on the 13th of May, but they just notified us that they would not receive the freight for this firm. We understand that the Barber Line also, which is an American concern and sending neutral steamers to South America, is in the same combination and refuses to accept freight for this house.
We always thought that any steamship line touching at this port was a common carrier and, as such, was obliged to accept freight for any consignee except naturally for belligerent countries.
It appears to us that if anything is a “combination in restraint of trade” it is this action of all steamship lines to a certain port in neutral South American countries by which certain old established houses are boycotted and shippers here are prevented from executing orders, and we certainly think there should be relief afforded by the authorities. There must be some way of forcing common carriers that make use of the facilities of this port to take freight for all neutrals in South American countries, and we would thank you to let us know whether there is any hope of relief through the Government or whether we shall seek relief through the courts here in bringing suit against the steamship lines under the Sherman antitrust law.
Our business has been greatly interfered with by the British Government holding up all our cables and cables sent to us from Java, where we have been buying in the past a large quantity of rubber, but which has now entirely stopped as our correspondents advise us that the British censor has intercepted all cables and will not allow any from us to get through or theirs to come to us. This is a serious loss to us, and as there seems to be no warrant for such interference, we also would like to know what remedy there is for relief.
Another unwarranted interference in our import business with Venezuela is that recently all shippers have been notified in Ciudad Bolivar that all freight passing through for transshipment to Trinidad must be consigned in New York to houses acceptable to the British Government and be consigned to the British Consul, New York. Meanwhile certain houses have also been mentioned as being on the black list, so that business houses in Venezuela are prevented from shipping their goods to New York except with the consent and permission of the British Government.
We can understand why the British Government should interfere with trade with neutral countries in Europe, but when it comes to such interference with South American countries, who have for [Page 385] years been shipping their produce and obtaining their goods from New York, it seems an unwarranted interference with our trade and from which merchants in the United States should be able to obtain relief.
Very respectfully,