25th July.
Suen highly-coloured statements have been made in reference to cargo carried from Shanghai by the two "Ping" steamers that have been captured by Japanese cruisers and taken to the Prize Court at Saseho for adjudication, that a brief statement of the facts will be of undoubted interest, It has been stated that every bill-of-lading for cargo by the two steamers in question bore a British Consular endorsement reading: "I hereby certify that the above goods are not for sale and are not destined for the fighting sphere and are shipped at shipper's risk." No such certificate has been endorsed on any _bill-of-lading whatever. The facts of the case are that legitimate trade being stopped by the refusal of the Commissioner of Customs here, under orders from Peking, to issue permits for cargo for northern ports that might be considered contraband by the Japanese, the British Consul-General here was appealed to, and he consented, on receiving satisfactory assurances in each case from reputable Beitish merchants or steamer agents here, to endorse the applications to the Customs for permits with the following words: "I am satisfied that this cargo is not for the use of the belligerent forces, and is shipped at owner's risk." This endorsement, the satisfaction mentioned being derived from the assurances of the British merchant or steamer agent, is simply for the satisfaction of the Commissioner of Customs, and is in no sort of way a certificate attached to the bill-of-lading. The statement that we have referred to is incorrect from first to last, and would hardly be worth notice but that it may find some credence outside Shanghai, and it is therefore desirable that an authoritative statement of the facts should be given,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.