File No. 763.72112/189
The Ambassador in Great Britain (Page) to the Secretary of State
London, October 19, 1914.
[Received October 20, 8 a.m.]
[Telegram]
864. Your 323, October 16. I followed your instructions literally. Sir Edward Grey will not accept Declaration of London without amendment:
First, for the same reason that he will not accept report of the drafting committee on declaration, namely, that Parliament declined to ratify it; and
Secondly, because the declaration itself forbids the addition to the contraband list of articles such as rubber and iron ore, that are now necessary for the manufacture of war materials.
He could not accept the second proposed item in your telegram because to accept the declaration entire and then to issue a proclamation contradicting a part of it would of course be impossible.
This finally ends all hope of his acceptance of the declaration entire. He is courteous, appreciative, and willing to go any length he can to meet us, but he will not accept the declaration for the reasons given.
I presented your objections to the new order in council.
Up to this point the situation stood thus: He had declined to accept your proposal of the Declaration of London entire, and you had declined his request for your approval of the new order in council. We stood, then, just where we stood before the controversy began, with all that had been proposed wiped off the slate.
Grey made a new start in the best spirit and temper. He said his aim was to meet our wishes, and to disturb and derange neutral commerce the least possible in the necessary conduct of the war. He reminded me that he has confiscated no American cargo.
He made a new start by proposing the following:
He will accept the Declaration of London with two amendments:
- (1).
- The addition to the contraband and conditional contraband lists of the articles, proposed in the draft of a new order in council previously telegraphed to you1 to which you made no objection. These articles cannot be added if he accept the declaration in its entirety.
- (2).
- He reserves the right to stop cargoes of contraband or conditional contraband consigned in blank to a neutral country which are evidently destined for the enemy country. He expects to perfect arrangements with Scandinavian states and Holland to guarantee [Page 254] non-exportation of supplies of military material to enemy country.
He proposes to issue a proclamation to the foregoing effect, repealing all preceding proclamations. He does not ask our acceptance of this proclamation, but he hopes we will not protest against it, and that we will be content to declare that we reserve all rights under international law and usage if in its execution any harm be done to our commerce, and that we will take up cases of damage, if any occur, as they arise. He reminded me that this would be the procedure under any arrangement that could be made, and he expressed the conviction that no cases of actual damage would occur after the proclamation had gone into effect.
Sir Edward has telegraphed this plan to Spring Rice.
Sir Edward hopes also that our explanation that we reserve all our rights in international law and usage will allay and prevent criticism of our Government at home.
If we withhold our assent to the proclamation, we will throw responsibility on the British Government.