133. Unneutral Service
The Kow-Shing Affair, Takahashi, 24-51
On July 25, 1894, a Japanese war-ship stopped the Kow-Shing, a British transport engaged in carrying Chinese troops. After fruitless parleying, the Kow-Shing refusing to surrender as her British captain was overawed by the Chinese he was carrying, the Kow-Shing was sunk by the Japanese war ship. The affair produced great excitement in England, and there was a demand of satisfaction from Japan on the ground that war had not been declared between that country and China. The facts appearing that a declaration of war is not necessary, and that the British captain of the transport was under compulsion, the affair was referred to Mr. Choate, the American Ambassador to Great Britain, as referee.
The Friendship, 6 C. Rob. 420, 429
This was the case of an American ship bound on a voyage from Baltimore to Bordeaux, with a light cargo and ninety French mariners as passengers, shipped by direction of the French minister in America. In condemning the ship and cargo in 1807, Sir William Scott said, "It is the case of a vessel letting herself out in a distinct manner, under a contract with the enemy's government, to convey a number of persons, described as being in the service of the enemy, with their military character traveling with them, and to restore them to their own country in that character."
The Orozembo, 6 C. Rob. 430
An American vessel, having been ostensibly chartered by a merchant at Lisbon "to proceed in ballast to Macao, and there to take a cargo to America," was afterwards, by his directions, fitted up for three military officers and two persons in civil departments in the government of Batavia, who had come from Holland to take their passage to Batavia, under the appointment of the Government of Holland. The vessel was condemned in 1807 as a transport, let out in the service of the government of Holland.
The Atalanta, 6 C. Rob. 440
A Bremen ship and cargo were captured on a voyage from Batavia to Bremen, in July, 1807, having come last from the Isle of France, where a packet, containing dispatches from the government of the Isle of France to the Minister of Marine at Paris, was taken on board by the master and one of the supercargoes, and was afterwards found concealed in the possession of the second supercargo. Both ship and cargo were condemned.