File No. 300.115/960½
The Secretary of State to the Consul General at London (Skinner)
[Telegram]
Your October 7, 12 noon. The course pursued by the British officials respecting disposition of goods aboard seized, detained, and diverted vessels is in furtherance of a policy affecting American commerce; and the position of the Department, text of which you state you have furnished to procurator general and to Bonar Law’s committee, is the authoritative position of the American Government and not merely representations in behalf of particular shipments. You will so inform the procurator general and the Bonar Law committee, stating that the position of the Department is not affected by the course which the committee intimates it may feel under duty to adopt.
The action of the British authorities in seizing and detaining neutral vessels destined to the port of Rotterdam carrying American cargo which; under no proper view, can be held to be contraband or subject to seizure, particularly shipments of cottonseed products, has already resulted in serious injury to American commerce and American interests and produces in this country a strong feeling of antagonism against the course of Great Britain. The Department desires that you obtain statement from appropriate authorities whether ruling in case of cottonseed cake of Spencer Kellogg and Company will apply to other shipments of cottonseed cake and meal to Holland.