§ 16. Sir WILLIAM BULLasked the President of the Board of Trade if the British steamship "Hopemoor" recently left the United States of America with a cargo of wheat for Genoa; and will he say who were the consignors of this cargo, the agents, and the consignees?
Mr. RUNCIMANThe owners of this vessel inform me that she has been in the hands of an American firm of time charterers since April of last year, and that they heard after the outbreak of war that she was proceeding with a cargo of wheat from Philadelphia to Genoa. They did not know who were the consignors or consignees of the cargo, but as the time charterers gave the name of R. M. Sloman, of Genoa, as their agents, the shipowners immediately conveyed this information to the Government, in order that the vessel might be intercepted at Gibraltar. She was accordingly detained for examination at Gibraltar, and the Admiralty inform me that she was released on receipt of a telegram from our Consul at Rome that the cargo was destined for the Italian Government.
§ Mr. HEWINSMay I ask whether Sloman's is not a German firm?
Mr. RUNCIMANI cannot say that of my own knowledge, but I understand the name Sloman is a German name.