File No. 763.72/631
The Ambassador in Germany (Gerard) to the Secretary of State
Berlin, August 22, 1914, 11 a.m.
[Received August 26, 2:55 p.m.]
[Telegram]
The Foreign Office in a formal note refer to Article 11 of the Congo Act of February 26, 1885, relative to the neutralization of the colonies lying within the conventional free-trade zone; they point out that all of Chapter 3 of the act, which deals with neutrality, owes [Page 78] its existence to the initiative of the United States representative at the conference. In view of the deep interest taken by the American Government in the question of neutralization at the time, the Imperial Government ventures to invoke the good offices of the American Government to the end that, Germany being willing to agree to neutralization, the consent of the other belligerents may be secured to the neutralization of the several colonies situated in the free-trade zone.
The Foreign Office state that, according to the reports so far received, England has committed two hostile acts within the free-trade zone: the bombardment of Dâr-es-Salaam and the seizure of the German steamer Wissman on the Nyasa Lake.