S. S. Gurre (Danish): Sailed from Baltimore July 1, 1915, for Aalborg, Denmark. Taken into Kirkwall July 19. Released July 23 and sailed for Aalborg and Randers.

S. S. Hulda Maersk (Danish): Sailed from Savannah, Ga., July 10, 1915 (Norfolk, July 13), for Malmoe. Cargo, cotton seed. Detained at Kirkwall. Arrived at Malmoe August 12.

S. S. Neches (American): Sailed from Rotterdam to the United States. Cargo, general. Detained at the Downs and brought to London, where cargo was discharged. The United States Government, July 15, 1915, made vigorous protest against the detention of the vessel and the unloading of the cargo, which was the property of American citizens, at London.

S. S. Buffalo (British): Sailed from New York August 18, 1915, for Christiana. Cargo, hacksaws. Arrive at Hull September 5. Thrown into prize court on the assertion that cargo was bound for Germany.

S. S. Vitalia (Norwegian): Sailed from New Work August 19, 1915, for Rotterdam. Cargo, meat. Detained at Falmouth, September 7, and thrown into prize court, the British Government's contention being that there were fats and oils in the cargo not consigned to the Netherlands Oversea Trust.

S. S. Corning (American; Standard Oil Co.): Sailed from Baton Rouge, La., August 17, 1915, for Malmoe. Cargo, refined petroleum and naphtha. Detained at Kirkwall September 7. Standard Oil Co. placed the case in the hands of the American Government. Released. Arrived at Malmoe September 28.

S. S. Oscar II (Swedish): Sailed from New York September 9, 1915, for Christiansand. Taken to Kirkwall. Sailed September 21. S. S. Louisiana (Danish): Sailed from New York September 15, 1915, for Copenhagen. Arrived at Kirkwall "prior to October 1, 1915," and sent to Aberdeen to discharge part of her cargo.

S. S. United States (Danish): Sailed from New York August 26, 1915, for Copenhagen. Cargo, general. Had unloaded at Copenhagen when British Government ordered her to reload and to take cargo back to England under penalty of seizure.

S. S. Helsingborg (Swedish): Sailed from Port Arthur, Tex., August 28, 1915, via Norfolk for Aarhus, Denmark. Cargo, cotton seed. Detained at Kirkwall September 28. Arrived at Blyth

October 3.

S. S. California (Danish): Sailed from New York August 31, 1915, for Christiania. Cargo, general. Detained September 29 at Leith.

S. S. Absalom (Danish): Sailed from Philadelphia September 12, 1915, for Copenhagen. Detained at Kirkwall.

S. S. Origin (Norwegian): Sailed from New York September 14, 1915, for Kirkwall and Vallo. Detained at Kirkwall.

S. S. Petrolite (American; Standard Oil Co.): Sailed from Philadelphia September 15, 1915, for Copenhagen. Detained at Kirkwall September 29. Arrived at Copenhagen October 8. (Had been previously detained by British authorities and released August 17, 1915.)

S. S. St. John (Swedish): Sailed from Baltimore September 12, 1915, for Gothenburg. Detained at Kirkwall. Arrived at Gothenburg October 8.

S. S. Ester (Swedish): Sailed from Port Tampa, Fla., September 5, 1915, for Newport News and Malmoe. Detained at Kirkwall September 30.

S. S. Frederick VIII (Danish): Sailed from New York September 22, 1915, for Copenhagen. Cargo, bacon. Ordered to unload at Kirkwall September 30.

S. S. Osman (Swedish): Sailed from New Orleans September 11, 1915, via Norfolk, for Copenhagen. Arrived at Kirkwall October 6. Released. Arrived at Copenhagen October 12, 1915.

S. S. Conrad Mohr (Norwegian): Sailed from Baton Rouge, La., September 15, 1915, via Norfolk, for Bergen. Arrived at Kirkwall October 7. Released. Arrived at Bergen October 11.

S. S. Fram (Norwegian): Sailed from Baltimore September 18, 1915, for Vaksdal. Arrived at Kirkwall October 7. Released. Arrived at Bergen October 11, 1915. Second seizure.

S. S. Aladdin (Norwegian): Sailed from New York September 21, 1915, for Stockholm. Brought to Kirkwall October 7. Released.

S. S. Orion (Swedish): Sailed from Philadelphia September 22, 1915, for Stockholm. Cargo, coal. Brought into Kirkwall October 10. Released October 14.

S. S. Virginia (Danish): Sailed from New York September 25, 1915, for Christiania and Copenhagen. Cargo, general. Taken to Kirkwall October 10. Taken to Grimsby October 19. To prize court. S. S. Mexicano (Norwegian): Sailed from New Orleans September 24, 1915, for Christiania and Copenhagen. Cargo, general. Detained at Kirkwall. Sailed October 12, 1915, for Christiania.

S. S. Hocking (American; formerly Danish, purchased and transferred by American Transatlantic Steamship Co. to American registry July 31, 1915): Objected to by British alleging that she was purchased with German capital. Sailed from New York October 29, 1915, for Norfolk. Seized by British cruiser and taken to Halifax, N. S., October 31, in charge of prize crew convoyed by British warships. In charge of Admiralty Court.

S. S. Hamborn (Dutch; Munson Line): Sailed from New York October 27, 1915, for Cuba. Cargo, general. Halted 85 miles from New York by British cruiser. Taken to Halifax, N. S., October 31, by prize crew, convoyed by British warships. In charge of Admiralty Court.

S. S. Llama (American; Standard Oil Co.; formerly German, transferred to American registry): Sailed from New York October 14, 1915, for Copenhagen. Cargo, oil. Seized by British prize crew and afterwards run aground (October 31) on Skae Skerries, Westray Firth, Scotland.

S. S. Athamas (Greek): Sailed from Galveston October 15, 1915 (Norfolk Oct. 24), for Rotterdam. Seized and taken into British port November 18.

Andrew Welch (American bark; George W. McNear, San Francisco) Sailed from San Francisco August 19, 1915, for Halstad, Sweden. Cargo, beans. Boarded by British crew off the Shetland Islands and ordered into Lerwick. On account of storms carried toward Norway and towed into Christiansand by S. S. Russland November 17.

S. S. Zealandia (American): Sailed from Tampa September 15, 1915, for Sweden. Cargo, rosin, hides, rubber. Arrived at Pensacola September 27, left for Tampico October 3; arrived at Progreso October 25 bound for Malmoe, Sweden. Boarded and searched by British crew, according to captain, within 3-mile limit. Steamer still remains at Progreso on account of fear of capture.

S. S. Kristianiafjord (Norwegian): Sailed from New York November 6, 1915, for Bergen and Christiania. Cargo, general. Detained at Kirkwall; arrived at Bergen November 21. Compelled to return to England 6,000 cases of American pork, 1,800 bags of coffee, the ultimate destination of which having been questioned by British authorities.

S. S. Genessee (American; owned by American Transatlantic Co., New York): Sailed from New York October 11, 1915. Left Norfolk October 14 with cargo of coal for Montevideo. Seized and boarded by British prize crew. Ordered to St. Lucia November 20.

Statement of Secretary Lansing regarding vessels detained by British authorities:

SEPTEMBER 10, 1915.

(1) Vessels whose cargoes and papers have been of such a character as to require but brief time for examination have been held in British ports, according to this Government's information, for prolonged periods, in some instances for more than a month, and then released without the institution of prize-court proceedings.

The steamer Chester, which sailed from Baton Rougue for Rotterdam with a cargo of illuminating oil, was taken into Falmouth September 21, 1914, and held until November 4 of that year.

The steamer Ocean, carrying the same kind of a cargo, from New York to Rotterdam, was taken into Plymouth September 23, 1914, and similarly released November 5.

The steamer Charlois and the steamer New York, carrying similar cargoes, were taken into British ports on September 30 and October 12, 1914, respectively, and similarly released on October 27.

The steamers American and Rotterdam, carrying cargoes of oil to Rotterdam, were also detained under conditions similar to those of the vessels just mentioned in the fall of 1914.

The steamer Christian Knudsen, carrying a cargo of oil in bulk, consigned to a Danish corporation in Copenhagen, was brought into the port of Kirkwall, detained for 11 days, and then released.

Vessels carrying oil from the United States to long-established markets in Scandinavian countries have repeatedly been retained without being sent to the prize court for adjudication. Among them may be mentioned the Brindilla, the Platuria, the Wico, the Polarine, the Pioneer, the Llama, the Muskogee, and the John D. Rockefeller. The steamer Denver, which carried a full cargo of cotton from Norfolk to Bremen and which had been loaded under the supervision of a British consular officer, was taken into Kirkwall in January last, as the department was informed by the British Government, just to examine her papers and to verify her cargo.

The George W. Hawley was held for a month because she refused to comply with a requirement of the British authorities to discharge a single shipment, the illegal destination of which does not appear

tó have been disclosed by any evidence. The vessel carried a mixed cargo, including a shipment of oil. The British authorities insisted that the vessel should discharge the oil, which, the shipper represented, was consigned to one of its long-established agents in Sweden. Finally, it was announced that the vessel would be released as an act of grace.

The steamer Wico was held by the British authorities last March. This Government was advised that the British minister at Stockholm had informed the Swedish foreign office that the vessel had arrived in a British port with a full cargo of oil for a concern in Stockholm, and that, in view of the recent seizure by a German man-of-war of the steamship Bryssel and her cargo, the British Government required complete assurances from the Swedish Government before the Wico could be allowed to proceed to destination that she would not share the fate of the Bryssel.

Subsequently this Government was informed that the vessel had been allowed to proceed, but that the British Government felt that, in the event of further cargoes going to Stockholm being seized by German ships, the whole question of permitting oil cargoes to proceed to that destination would have to be seriously reconsidered.

The steamer Llama, carrying a cargo of oil to a Scandinavian port, was taken into Kirkwall and subsequently released on June 5 last. After departing from Kirkwall the ship was again arrested on June 6, and although the officer of the war vessel which seized the Llama apparently was shown the ship's release papers, he placed a prize crew on board and ordered the vessel to Aberdeen and thence to Leith, where she was finaly released on June 12, although she could not proceed until June 15, owing to a shortage of coal.

(2) Vessels have been held until they have reconsigned their cargoes to a consignee in a neutral country designated by the British Government.

The steamer Seguranca, which carried a general cargo from New York to the Netherlands, was detained at a great loss to the owners, of the vessel and to the shippers in a British port for the greater part of last April, in order that her cargo might be reconsigned to the Netherlands Oversea Trust. The manifest showed that the entire cargo was consigned to named consignees in the Netherlands and was accompanied by a certificate of the British consul general in New York, stating that the loading was supervised by his inspector and that the vessel contained no cargo other than that specified in the manifest. A large part of the cargo, consisting of fresh fruit stored in the hold of the vessel, was subject to decay with great rapidity.

A similar requirement was imposed on the steamer F. J. Lisman, which during last June was detained in London. It appears that, after a prolonged detention of the ship of over a month, representatives of the shippers were compelled to discharge both contraband and noncontraband articles, and that the captain and the shippers finding their efforts to comply with the requirements of the British authorities hopeless, abandoned the voyage.

The steamers A. A. Raven and Vitalia, carrying articles listed as conditional contraband, were detained in a British port in March last until the goods shipped to specified consignees in Holland could be consigned to the Netherlands Oversea Trust.

The steamer Neches was detained last May for about two weeks in order that a shipment of cotton destined for Rotterdam might be consigned to the Netherlands Oversea Trust.

The steamer Zzandjik was detained last June, as the department was informed, while the British minister at The Hague made inquiries as to whether the Netherlands Oversea Trust had accepted the consignment of the cargo.

(3) Detentions have been made without evidence amounting to probable cause.

The steamer Annam, which was detained at Kirkwall last April. carried a cargo of food products from the United States to Swedish ports. She was detained owing to a "suspicion," as the British Government stated, that a part of its cargo was destined for Germany.

The steamer Dronning Olga was detained at Kirkwall in April last and the cargo, which consisted of cotton and food products, was placed in the prize court on the ground, as the department was informed by the British Government, that it was "believed" that it was ultimately destined for Germany.

The steamer Hilding, which sailed from New York for Copenhagen with a general cargo consisting largely of food products, was seized and taken into Leith last April, and this Government was informed that the cargo had been seized as contraband with the expectation of holding it under the order in council of March 11, 1915, if the charge that the goods were contraband should fail. Numerous similar instances might be cited.

The steamers Christian Knudsen and Platuria, carrying oil from New York to Denmark, were detained by the British authorities last fall, taken into British ports, and held until the British Government, as they stated, could make an investigation as to the destination of the cargoes. Furthermore, this Government was informed that the vessels had been detained pending the receipt of guaranties from Denmark against the exportation of the cargoes and that the orders were given for the release of the vessels on the receipt of satisfactory guaranties.

The steamer Brindilla, which sailed from New York October 13 last, with a cargo of oil for Alexandria, was taken into port at Halifax and later released, as the department was informed, when the British authorities received information that the ship's cargo was expected at Alexandria.

The steamer Ambra was taken into a British port in July last, and this Government was informed that this vessel was held pending inquiries that had been instituted concerning destination of certain items of her cargo. About a week later the vessel was allowed to proceed.

In July last this Government was informed by the British Government that the prolonged detention of the oil steamers Polarine, Platuria, and Pioneer was due to the fact that His Majesty's Government's attention had latterly been drawn to the very large quantities of oil which had been shipped to Scandinavian countries during the last few months; that there had been every reason to suspect that some of the oil was destined for enemy countries; and that the arrival of the steamers in quick succession necessitated the institution of inquiries as to the ultimate destination of the oil.

84610°-H. Doc. 2111, 64-2, pt 2-7