File No. 763.72111B46/5
The British Ambassador ( Spring Rice) to the Secretary of State
Washington, November 20, 1914.
No. 391]
Sir: Under instructions from my Government, I have the honour to bring the following matter to your notice.
The American steamer Berwind, with a full cargo of coal on board and under charter to the Hamburg-American Line, cleared for Buenos Aires from New York on the 5th of August last.
It is now established beyond all possible doubt that the Berwind in fact never did proceed to Buenos Aires; that on September 18 last she arrived in ballast at Rio de Janeiro after having coaled the German warships Cap Trafalgar and Dresden; and that she is now again in the port of New York, having arrived there from Rio de Janeiro on the 15th instant.
In the rules issued by your Department on September 191 for the guidance of United States officers in dealing with merchant vessels suspected of carrying supplies to belligerent vessels, it is stated as follows:
- 3.
- Circumstantial evidence, supporting a rumor or suspicion that
a merchant vessel intends to furnish a belligerent warship with,
fuel or other supplies on the high seas, is sufficient to
warrant detention of the vessel until its intention can be
investigated in the following cases: . . .
- (c)
- When a merchant vessel, which has on a previous voyage between ports of the United States and ports of other neutral states failed to have on board at the port of arrival a cargo consisting of naval supplies shipped at the port of departure, seeks to take on board a similar cargo.
Under instructions from Sir E. Grey I have the honour to request that in the event of the Berwind preparing to put to sea again with supplies or fuel on board, she may be detained in port in accordance with the rules quoted above.
I have [etc.]
Colville Barclay