File No. 763.72111/1115
The British Ambassador (Spring Rice) to the Secretary of State
Washington, November 15, 1914.
Dear Mr. Secretary: I beg to communicate to you herewith the following rules issued by the Brazilian Government relative to the treatment of merchant vessels in Brazilian ports, which I have received from Sir Edward Grey:
- 1.
- No merchant vessel shall be permitted to leave any Brazilian port without its ports of call and destination being declared by the consular representative of the nation to which the vessel belongs, and without an assurance from that consular officer that the vessel is sailing on a purely commercial errand.
- 2.
- In the case of any merchant vessel which has already left or in future will leave Brazilian ports, if it is proved that either by the time that has elapsed or by the course she has taken, she did not proceed direct to the ports of call or destination specified by the consular officer, she shall be detained when she next touches at a Brazilian port by the Brazilian authorities, and considered by the Brazilian Government as forming part of the naval forces of her nation and treated as such.
Sir Edward Grey is of opinion that these rules appear likely to place proper restrictions on illicit operations on the part of German and other merchant vessels in furnishing supplies of coal and provisions to German warships, and he desires me to enquire whether the United States Government would be disposed to issue rules of a similar nature and to regard as suspect any ship, whatever her nationality, which has given a false declaration of destination on clearing from a port in another country, or has unloaded cargo on the way, or has taken an excessive time over her voyage.
His Majesty’s representatives in all American Republics have also been instructed to make a like request to the Governments to which [Page 633] they are accredited and to urge them, in case they should not see their way to issue similar rules, to treat with special caution ships acting in the suspicious manner prohibited by the Brazilian rules so as to prevent the use of their ports as bases of supply of German cruisers, contrary to the recognized rules of neutrality.
I am [etc.]
Colville Barclay