341.622a/154½
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Great Britain (Page)
My Dear Mr. Page: I have read with a great deal of interest your personal note of the 22d [May] giving the inside history of the China case. As you have no doubt judged from my telegrams, I have regarded the British action in this case as wholly unwarranted and without the least semblance of right so far as the facts were known [Page 313] to the commander of the Laurentic. The United States could not condone the offense without giving up the principle for which it has fought in the past.
I am determined to do my utmost to prevent the infringements of this principle during the present war.
The Henry S. case3 seems to be on all fours with the China case, and it seems to me the British Government should, following the China case, if the facts are as I believe them to be, promptly release the men removed from the Henry S.
The Ausable case3 is receiving my consideration, and I expect to send you a telegram in reply to your 4384, May 30,4 in a few days.
I congratulate you on your success in the China case, as I believe your efforts have resulted in a real contribution to the protection of neutral rights—rights which are as important to the world as belligerent rights, but which have been considerably battered during the present war.
I trust that you may be able to settle as amicably and successfully the Henry S. and Ausable cases.
Sincerely yours,
- For correspondence previously printed concerning the cases of the Henry S. and the Ausable, see Foreign Relations, 1916, supp., pp. 635 ff.↩
- For correspondence previously printed concerning the cases of the Henry S. and the Ausable, see Foreign Relations, 1916, supp., pp. 635 ff.↩
- Ibid., p. 648.↩