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Show ILLUMINATING OIL IS CONTRABAND Washington. Oct. 21. Great Britain's Brit-ain's determination to keep from Germany cargoes of Illuminating oil which might be turned Into fuel for army motor trucks, as well as for dreaded Zeppelins and aeroplanes, caused the seizure of American Standard Stand-ard Oil steamers by British cruisers. This fact was developed today in conferences, following the state department's de-partment's request through Ambassa dor Page at Washington for the Immediate Im-mediate release of the tanker, John D. Rockefeller. President Wilson in person, and Kb-distant Kb-distant Secretary' Lansing, acting secretary sec-retary of state, discussed the matter and later Mr. Lansing conferred with the British ambassador. Sir Cecil Spring Rice, concerning the attitude of the American government. The Standard Oil company has ask ed the- state department to secure the release of three of Its ships, the John D. Rockefeller, Brindilla and Plarura. which were captured by British warships war-ships while bound from American ports to neutral countries, carring , illuminating oil Only In the case of the Rockefeller, Rockefel-ler, however, has the department felt J warranted In taking immediate step i This ship was under the American 'flag before the European war began land therefore. Is not subject to any of the questions which might arise in connection with the other two ves sels, which were changed from foreign for-eign registry under the recent act of congress. The understanding at the British embassy is that Illuminating oil has been repeatedly called contraband by the British government, but that the notice has not reached other powers The protest also resents the capture of a copper-laden ship, which was taken iu charge prior to international announcement that copper had been declared conditional contraband. In this case the United States did not abandon her contention that neutral goods In neutral bottoms passing neutral neu-tral land were contraband. An Issue Is-sue was avoided, however, through an agreement of the Dutch and British governments that the embargo would extend to copper. It is suggested that a similar arrangement ar-rangement will be sought by the Brit Ish government regarding petroleum and its products, not only with Hoi land, but also with Denmark, Sweden and Norway It was pointed out today that the exports ex-ports of refined petroleum from Amer lea to the northern neutral European countries are far in excess of the normal consumption of those coun -tries Only recently it developed that Illuminating petroleum was capa ble of being used as a substitute for gasoline with properly designed motors, mo-tors, hence Great Britain added this product to Its contraband list Another phase of the negotiations which hae been In progress regarding regard-ing the right of neutral ships to transport trans-port neutral goods appeared todav when Mr Van Rappard, the Dutcri minister, appealed to the state deportment de-portment to secure for Dutch vessels the privilege of conveying neutral German goods to Amerlc In connection with the exportation of German dyestuffs to the United j States the German government lm- i posed the condition that tho goods should be transported In American f bottoms under pledge that they should not be diverted to Germany's enemies England and France. If this privilege privi-lege Is extended to Dutch veseels. the business would be greatly Increased In-creased and the Dutch shipping Interests In-terests now greatly depressed, would be much relieved. |