File No. 195.1/108
The British Embassy to the Secretary of State
memorandum
In the course of the month of September the steamer Alexandria, belonging to the Kosmos Line and flying the German flag, was bought by a company at San Francisco styling itself the Northern and Southern Steamship Corporation who applied for United States registry. This company is formed by various persons interested in shipping matters and it is reported that the manager is also the local manager and paid employee of the Kosmos Line. The stevedores of that line are stated to be shareholders of the new company. The Kosmos Line is a German line operating steamers from Hamburg to San Francisco via Brazilian, Uruguayan, Chilean, Peruvian and Mexican ports. There are stated to be various steamers of this line laid up in South American ports and it is supposed that the Alexandrian will bring up their cargoes. The name of the vessel has been changed to the Sacramento or Mission Rock. It is further stated that this vessel will load 4,000 tons of steam coal, ostensibly for South American ports where coal is very scarce. Various circumstances, however, point to the possibility that this coal, or some of it, will be eventually used to coal German cruisers.
In bringing this matter to the attention of the Department of State, the British Embassy wishes to state that there is no desire or intention to object to the transfer to the American flag, but the peculiar features of the transaction as reported to the Embassy and the circumstances surrounding it appear prima facie to give it an ambiguous character and the British Consul General has been instructed to call the attention of parties interested to the declaration of the International Naval Conference.