British parliament member Norton-Griffiths asked how the cabinet intended to act against the shipping of German war stores by ships of non-belligerent counties according to the Dutch newspaper Algemeen Handelsblad dated 21 August 1917

-An item dated London, England 20 August reported that in the British House of Commons Norton-Griffiths (1) asked if the cabinet knew that a large number of ships of neutral countries still military stores transported to German harbours. Secondly he wondered if the cabinet wanted to consider to make after the war a distinction between the ship owners who did and who did not such transports. Cecil (2) made clear that the British cabinet basically considered that after the war such neutral ships were to be treated as if these belonged to the enemy. Griffiths asked Cecil if he knew that neutral ships lying in harbours afraid for German reactions in fact also supported German war interests/purposes. Cecil shared this opinion.

Notes
1. Sir John Norton-Griffiths (Somersen, England 13 July 1871-near Alexandria, Egypt 17 September 1930), military and policitian for the Conservative Party.
2. Edgar Algernon Gascoyne-Cecil (14 September 1864 Cavendish Square, London, England-24 November 1958 Danehill, East Sussex, England) Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs 30 May 1915-10 January 1919.