§ 20. Mr. SAMUEL SAMUELasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will say why merchandise, the property of British subjects, arrived from the Persian Gulf in a British steamer, shipped to London (before the commencement of the war with Turkey) from Bagdad, should be seized on being landed in London and the owners compelled to take action in the courts and incur unnecessary and very largo expense; and will he say why the British merchants were not given notice that the goods would be seized before they paid the freight on arrival of the steamer in London, so as to save them further outlays?
Mr. PRIMROSEAs the hon. Member does not identify the ship or merchandise I can only reply in general terms. The circumstances stated by him appear to give rise to a strong presumption of enemy ownership. The matter is therefore one for investigation by the Prize Court, where any British subjects interested in the cargo should put forward their claims. In the event of such claims not being recognised by the Court, it would be possible for them to be laid before the Prize Claims Committee.