763.72112/178½
Statement for the Press by the Counselor for the Department of State (Lansing)
A statement appeared in certain morning papers that the British Ambassador had advised officials of the State Department that Great Britain intended to seize goods listed as conditional contraband, which were destined for Germany or Austria, even if they were carried in neutral ships, and consigned to neutral ports.
When the attention of Counselor Lansing of the State Department was called to this statement, he said that it was without foundation; that the British Ambassador had given no such notice; that the question of the inclusion of certain articles in the British list of conditional contraband had been discussed informally with the British [Page 250] Ambassador, but that he had not informed the British Government or the British Ambassador that this Government did not accept the British position as to seizure of neutral vessels and cargoes, of which our Ambassador at London has not advised the Department.
He further denied that he had handed the British Ambassador a copy of the regulations issued by the Bureau of War Risk Insurance; that neither these regulations nor the lists of articles classified as conditional contraband appearing in the regulations had ever been discussed in any way with the British Ambassador.
He further stated that this matter had not been called to the attention of the Netherlands Government, either here or at The Hague.
Mr. Lansing further said that he considered statements such as these most mischievous as they tended to excite public feeling in a way which might seriously embarrass this Government, and that he hoped hereafter the officials of this Department would not be credited with assertions which they never made and which they have no intention of making.
He added that, so far as the question of shipment of conditional contraband was concerned, he had no doubt that there would be an arrangement reached which would be satisfactory to all parties concerned.