COPY. 93732/45.
20
C.O.
59146
Shanghai, 19th September, 1914
REG
Mer 1 JEC 16]
Gentlemen,
With reference to your letter to the Shipping Vice-Cons::l of the 11th instant and to previous conver-
sation on the question of your agency for the Pacific
Mail Steamship Company and your liability as "common
carriers under American law, I am in receipt of a reply
from the Foreign Office in regard to their views should
that Company accept "enemy" cargo or passengers on board
their vessels.
His Majesty's Government informs me that they
do not desire to express any opinion in regard to the
carriage of cargo. As regards the carriage of enemy
passengers, your firm would not be black listel for this
reason but His Majesty's Government claim the right to
arrest such subjects, if of Military age and found on any
neutral vessels on the high seas,
In view of the reply of my Government, which was
sent without knowledge of your letter of the 11th instant,
and of my investigations into the question of lighterage
accomodation at the disposal of enemy firms or their
nominees, I am prepared to recommend to my Government
that neither your fire nor the Pacific Mil Steamship
Company shall be prejudiced in any way by the mere un-
avoidable carriage of limited quantities of enemy cargo,
so long as I am satisfied that both your firm and the
Company are acting in accordance with both the spirit
and letter of the undertakings given in your letter of
the 11th instant. Upon receipt of your reply, I will
forward/