763.72112/12930b
The Acting Secretary of State to President Wilson
Dear Mr. President: I enclose you a paraphrase of a telegram to-day from Mr. Page17 and also copies of two telegrams handed to me by the British Ambassador,18 all relative to the Declaration of London.
It seems to me that in view of the rigid attitude of the British Government further attempts to obtain an agreement on the Declaration of London would be useless. We must, therefore, stand on the rules of international law which have been generally accepted without [Page 256] regard to the Declaration. In the matter of the transfer of vessels this will be a decided advantage. The great loss is the failure to have a definite code, which will undoubtedly be the source of numerous controversies.
It is to be regretted that in spite of all that has been done, the purpose of the negotiation has failed.
Probably it would be well to await the new proclamation before acting, although a protest might be entered against certain articles which the British Government on September 21st declared contraband.19
Very sincerely yours,
- Foreign Relations, 1914, supp., p. 253.↩
- Ibid., pp. 254, 255.↩
- See telegram of Sept. 30, 1914, from the Ambassador in Great Britain, Foreign Relations, 1914, supp., p. 236.↩