File No. 763.72/1571
The Ambassador in Great Britain (Page) to the Secretary of State
[Received 8 p. m.]
1762. Your 1182, February 24.1 Much inquiry has failed to show that any order has been issued by the British Government to merchant vessels to arm themselves; but there is reason to believe that the Government has permitted arming when ships have asked. There is no evidence that I have yet found, however, that any transatlantic British merchantmen have been armed. And all the arming that may have been done has been done since the German submarine “blockade” began and it has been done with reference to German submarine attacks.