File No. 763.72112/2304
The Consul General at London (Skinner) to the Secretary of State
No. 1248
London,
February 24, 1916
.
[Received March
6.]
Sir: I have the honor to enclose herewith
copy of a letter received from the American consular agent at
Kirkwall, setting forth the routine practice of the British
authorities on the arrival of vessels diverted to that port by the
Admiralty.
I have [etc.]
[Enclosure]
The American Consular Agent at Kirkwall
(Flett) to the Consul
at Dundee (Latham)
Kirkwall,
February 14, 1916
.
Sir: I find I have to acknowledge
receipt of your letter of the 7th instant.
As soon as a vessel from an American or other port arrives here,
she is boarded by an Admiralty officer, who examines the ship’s
papers and also the crew. She is also boarded by the customs
officials, who examine the ship’s papers and search the ship in
the ordinary way. The whole ship’s papers are removed by the
customs officials and brought ashore with them and retained in
the customs office here. The papers are then examined by the
indoor staff of the customs here and all particulars relating to
ship and cargo are telegraphed to London. The papers are
retained by the customs, until they receive instructions whether
the vessel is to be allowed to proceed or whether the whole
cargo or part thereof is to be placed in the prize court. If the
vessel is allowed to proceed, the ship’s papers are then handed
over by the customs to the Admiralty port officer, and he either
hands them over to the captain personally or sends them on board
the vessel. In the event of part or the whole of the cargo being
placed in the prize court, the ship’s papers are handed by the
Admiralty port officer to the prize officer, who is sent on
board that vessel to whichever port she might be ordered to
discharge.
If the vessel is cleared, the customs authorities give the master
of the vessel a clearance card to that effect. It is very seldom
that a vessel ever breaks bulk here. I have known of a small
quantity of cargo that has been prize-courted being taken out of
a vessel here, so as to allow the vessel to proceed and avoid
unnecessary delay and expense in sending her to another port to
discharge. It is, however, very seldom that this happens. If I
have not made myself sufficiently clear, I shall be very pleased
on hearing from you to give you further information on any
points.
I am [etc.]
