The Foreign Office issued on Monday a statement of great
im- portance upon the subject of American meat for Europe. In spite of a reference to the consideration of an undefined sum of money paid to the packers, we believe that the. Government are to be heartily congratulated upon the achievement of a successful result after very difficult negotiations which were once at least broken off in momentary despair. The agreement disposes of the claims of the great packing companies in respect of goods seized and detained as prize, and certain appeals by the packers to the Privy Council against the Prize Court's decisions are withdrawn. In future His Majesty's Government will "regulate the entire shipment by the packers of all packing-house products to neutral European countries during the continuation of the war." The British Navy and our control of bunker coal have been powerful weapons in influencing the courses of the world's trade, but without firmness at the Foreign Office and the ability to convince neutrals of our fairness there would have been no possibility of making agreements that promise to prove satisfactory to all parties, as we trust that this one will.
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