Mr. Hay to Mr.
White.
Department of State,
Washington, March 15,
1900.
No. 329.]
Sir: I inclose for your information copy of a
letter from the Pennsylvania Milling and Export Company relative to the
seizure of certain flour by a British steamship which was shipped on the
Mashona, and stating that said company has
sent invoices, power of attorney, and all information possible in the
matter to Consul-General Stowe at Cape Town, so that he may dispose of
the flour seized there.
You will observe that the company state that other parties are making
claim to many of the consignments on the Mashona,
among them being Russian subjects; that they do not know whether their
buyers were Russian subjects or not, but that they have advised
Consul-General Stowe in regard to the questions which may arise in the
cases of both the Mashona and the Beatrice.
I am, etc.,
[Inclosure.]
Pennsylvania Milling and
Export Company to Mr. Hay.
Sir: In compliance with your telegram of
the 5th instant, we have sent invoices and power of attorney to
Consul-General Stowe, of Cape Town, so that he may dispose of the
flour seized there to the British Government.
I also note your wire of the 6th instant, stating that other parties
are making claim to many of the consignments on the Mashona, among them being Russian subjects.
We are sending all information possible in the matter to
Consul-General Stowe. We do not know whether our buyers were Russian
subjects or not, but we have written Consul-General Stowe that
should the other parties laying claim to the flour turn out to be
our buyers, as described in our letter of information to him on the
subject, and should they produce proof of title to the property and
be willing to accept it without further claim on us, that we would
withdraw our claims against the British Government for any such
parcels as presentation of the documents by these parties would
indicate payment on their part of our drafts, and would also be
evidence that they had considered that we had fulfilled our
contract. We have instructed him, however, that in the case of the
Beatrice there is one lot on which the
drafts have not been paid and which drafts are now in process of
being returned to this country. This lot, of course, we shall have
to ask the British Government to settle for.
If, would simplify the matter greatly if the buyers would take
delivery without furl her redress on us.
Yours, respectfully,
Pennsylvania Milling and Export
Co.,
Per
A. J. Toomey,
President.
