Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, 1914, Supplement, The World War

The Secretary of State to the Consul at St. Pierre (Kemp)

Department of State,
Washington, August 11, 1914.

[Telegram]

Your August 5. Under generally accepted principles international law, submarine telegraphic cable between territory of belligerent and neutral may be cut by belligerents outside of territorial waters of neutral in course of military or naval operations; but if cable is not used to furnish military information or for other unneutral purposes, Department hopes that belligerents will not undertake to do so.

Bryan