CO129-377 - Governor Sir Lugard - 1911 [5] — Page 129

(2)

Beas constitutes a valid reason for praying His Majesty's Governmert to decline to ratify the Declaration or to proceed with the Naval Prize Bill.

125

(C)

That the admission of the principle of destruction of neutral prizes would be in the highest degree prejudicial to the interests of this country.

These recommendations were formally adopted by the Council of the London Chamber of Commerce on 14th November last.

In order to make the position of H. M. Government plain in the matter, correspondence bearing on the subject was presented to both Houses of Parliament (miscellaneous No. 4 1910).

This correspondence as here published was carried on between

the Foreign Office and the following bodies :-

• Society

The Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, The Leith Shipowners The Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce, the Bristol branch of the Naval League, and the Belfast Chamber of Commerce: who together may be taken as well representing the various communities more directly interested in the over-seas trade of our Empire.

All these bodies strongly supported the London Chamber in urging that the ratifying of the Declaration would cause great injury to our trade and most seriously affect our supplies of foods stuffs, and raw materials for our home manufactories, in time of war.

A careful perusal of the Declaration should, I consider, convince any impartial person that this agreement, if retified will far more seriously effect "reat Britain, than any Continental Power, and will therefore place a serious handicap upon us in the event of our bei- ng unfortunately engaged in war-fure with one of ourneighbours.

There are other points, particubarly the list of articles which it is proposed should be considered contraband of war, to which refer- ence might be made, but this is hardly a fitting moment for going fully into details.

After a very careful consideration of the documents referred to, the Committee decided to telegraph to the London Chamber of Commerce strongly endorsing and supporting the finding of the Special Committes and added that we had asked His Excellency the Governor to telegraph