It is intended as a suggestion, and as the basis upon which we may be
shaping our thoughts in this important matter. You will see that
[Page 278]
what I have done is little
more than to reduce to writing what I roughly indicated in Cabinet
to-day.
[Enclosure]
Outline Sketch by President Wilson of a Note to
Great Britain
Note in Reply to Ours Received, Notifying Us of
the Establishment of a Blockade of the Coasts of Germany Which
It Is Intended To Make in All Respects Effective
The cordon of blockading ships which it is intended to maintain is,
however, of such an extent, the blockade as indicated in the plan
announced covers so great an area of the high seas, that it seems
that neutral vessels must pass through it in order to approach many
important neutral ports which it is not Great Britain’s privilege to
blockade, and which she of course does not mean to blockade.
The Government of the United States takes it for granted, in view of
the anxiety expressed by His Majesty’s Government to interfere as
little as possible with neutral commerce, that the approach of
American merchantmen to neutral ports situated upon the long line of
coast affected will not be interfered with when it is known that
they do not carry goods which are contraband of war or goods
consigned to a destination within the belligerent territory
affected. The Government of the United States assumes this with the
more confidence because it is manifest that His Majesty’s Government
has undertaken a very unusual method of blockade which it will be
difficult to confine within the limits required by the law of
nations; and it is natural to infer that the commanders of His
Majesty’s vessels of war engaged in the blockade will be instructed
to be very careful that the blockade is not made to involve
consequences to the trade of neutrals greater and more burdensome
than those which have hitherto been regarded as inevitable when the
ports of one belligerent are blockaded by the ships of another.
The Government of the United States of course appreciates the
existence of the unusual conditions of modern warfare at sea upon
which it understands His Majesty’s Government to rely to justify
methods of blockade and practices of search and detention which His
Majesty’s Government, like the Government of the United States, has
so often and so explicitly held to be inconsistent with the best
usages of warfare in the dealings of belligerents with neutrals at
sea; but it does not understand His Majesty’s Government to claim
exemption from the hitherto accepted principles and obligations in
these matters
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because of
those unusual conditions; and it should regard itself as failing in
its duty, because failing to maintain the principles for which it
has always contended, were it not very earnestly to call the
attention of His Majesty’s Government to the grave responsibilities
it is incurring in its efforts to meet a novel situation.
The Government of the United States notes with gratification the
assurances conveyed in the note of His Majesty’s Secretary of State
for Foreign Affairs that special care will be taken to invade
neutral rights no further than the necessities of the blockade make
unavoidable; but the possibilities of serious interference are so
many, the methods and circumstances of the blockade are so unusual
and are likely to constitute so great an impediment and
embarrassment to neutral commerce, that the Government of the United
States feels that it is only candid and in the interest of avoiding
future misunderstandings to say that it apprehends many
interferences which may involve His Majesty’s Government in heavy
responsibilities for acts of His Majesty’s naval officers which may
make the methods of blockade which are now being adopted clearly
obnoxious to the well recognized rights of neutral nations on the
high seas. It therefore assumes that His Majesty’s Government has
considered these possibilities, will take every practicable step to
avoid them, and stands ready to make reparation wherever it may be
shown to have been in the wrong.
The Government of the United States, in brief, does not understand
His Majesty’s Government as claiming the right to set aside any
accepted principle of international law, or to plan to act in
contravention of any such principle; and therefore understands His
Majesty’s Government to assume full responsibility in case its
present course of action should unexpectedly draw its
representatives into acts for which it would be responsible in law
and in comity.
