120
cargoes or portion of cargoes, should make enquiries
in London at the Offices of His Majesty’s Procurator-General,
Treasury Chambers, Whitehall, and in the
case of the outports of the United Kingdom, at the
Offices of the agents for His Majesty’s Procurator-General,
whose addresses ean he obtained from the
Collectors of Customs at such outports,
„His Majesty’s Procurator-General will require
proof of ownership and particulars as to freight,
whether paid or unpaid.“
In cases where the title of British Subjects or of
persons domiciled in allied or neutral States, or of
friendly aliens domiciled in this country, who are
interested in such cargoes, is clear and estabh'shed
without doubt to the satisfaction of the Procurator-General,
such cargoes or portions of cargoes will he
released with as little delay as possible, provided that
no question of contraband arises, and Subject to the
adjustment of any matters relating to freight or other
charges falling on the cargo. In more doubtful cases
recourse to the ordinary Prize Court procedure will be
necessary. It will in most cases be convenient that Ihe
parties should communicate with the agent of the
Procurator-General at the port where the ship is, rather
tban with the Procurator-General himself.
Duo notice will be given of the Institution of
proceedings in cases in whicli vessels are in the custody
of the Prize Courts in the United Kingdom. Vessels
which have been detained in or brought into British
ports outside the United Kingdom will be brought
befere the Prize Courts established in His Majesty’s
dominions overseas, and interested parties should take
steps to have their Interests represented before those
Courts.
It is hoped that arrangements may shortly be
made for the Publication of similar notice in respect
of proceedings in those Prize Courts.
His Majesty’s Government are endeavouring to
obtain from the Governments of France, Russia, and
Japan lists of merchant vessels which may be similarly
detained or captured by (he armed forces of those
States. All such Information as soon as received will
be published in the same way.
A separate notification is being published as
regards German vessels detained in Belgian ports on
the outbreak of hostilities.
All the Information in the possession of His Majesty’s
Government will in this way he made public,
and it is hoped that the necessity of applying to
Government Departments for Information in particular
cases will be eliminated.
Statement appearing in the Press, Friday,
November 27th, 1914.
A Committee has been appointed by His Majesty’s
Government to receive and consider Claims made by
British Allied or Neutral Third Parties against Ships
or Cargoes which have been condemned, or detained
by Order of Prize Courts, and to recominend to wbat
extent in wliat manner and on wbat terms such olaims
should be met or provided for out of the prize funds.
The only Claims which the Committee are authorised
to consider are Claims against ships and cargoes
on which sentence has heen passed by the Prize Courts.
Any graut made in respect of them will be made as
of grace and ont of the bounty of the Crown.
Any person desiring to submit Claims for the
consideration of the Committee should forward them
to the Secretary, Prize Claims Committee, at the Board
of Trade.
Announcements will be made in the press as to
the latest date on which Claims against particular ships
and cargoes should ho made.
Auf Grund einer neuerlichen Erklärung der britischen
Regierung Wird zur öffentlichen Kenntnis gebracht:
Nach der Rechtsprechung britischer Prisengerichte werden
vor ihnen feindliche Ausländer zur Wahrung ihrer
Rechte zugelassen, wenn sie sich dabei auf eines der
Haager Abkommen von 1907 berufen können. Das
britische Prisengericht in Alexandrien hat auch die
Klagen feindlicher Ausländer angenommen, die auf
Verträge über den Suezkanal oder auf die besonderen
Beziehungen Großbritanniens zuÄghpten gestützt wurden.
sFrankfurter Zeitung vom 16./4. 1915.)
Notification by bl. IVl.'s Oovernrnent as to
Enemy Ships in The Suez Canal.
His Majesty’s Government have issued a notification
in the following terms to the Representatives
of Foreign Maritime Powers in London, and have
asked them to communicate itto their Governments: —
Lines the outbreak of war certain ships of enemy
countries have remained in the Suez Canal.
Lome of these vessels were detained by the
Egyptian Government on account of hostile acts committed
in the Canal; some because there was reason
to apprehend that they contemplated hostile acts;
others, thongh perfectly free, have refused to leave
the Canal in spite of the oster of a free pass, thus
disclosing their Intention to use the ports of the Canal
merely as ports of refuge, a measure which is not
contemplated by the Suez Canal Convention.
His Majesty’s Government do not admit that the
conventional right of free acoess to and use of the
Canal, enjoyed by merchant vessels implies any right
to make use of the Canal and its ports of access for
an indefinite time to escape capture, since the obvious
result of permitting any such course must be greatly
to incommode and even to block the use of the ports
and Canal by other ships, and they are consequently
of opinion that the Egyptian Government are fully
justified in the steps which they are taking to remove
from the Canal all enemy ships which have been long
enough in the Canal ports to show clearly that they
have no Intention of departing in the ordinary way,
and that they are putting the Canal and its ports to
