File No. 300.115/154
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Great Britain (Page)
Washington, August 13, 1914, 8 p.m.
[Telegram]
Department has received information that vessels carrying grain and other foodstuffs from United States to continental ports have been diverted to English ports, particularly steamers Kursk, Campanello, and Spenser from New York to Rotterdam, containing shipment 360,000 bushels of wheat by Milmine, Bodman and Company, and that British Admiralty are notifying shipowners to land cargoes of diverted vessels with port authorities who are instructed to sell perishable cargo and store non-perishable. Make inquiry of British Government for facts of case and bring to its attention injury to result from this course, if followed, to American shippers. Department understands that some of these vessels are or will be diverted to ports affording no market for the cargoes, whether perishable or non-perishable, and that such action, if taken, will result in heavy losses to American exporters. Milmine, Bodman and Company protest [Page 305] against action and insist that wheat be sold only with advice and assistance of one of their British correspondents. Department desires full facts of situation with reasons and basis for British Government’s action.