File No. 763.72111G27/20
The German Ambassador (Bernstorff) to the Counselor for the Department of State
Washington, November 11, 1914.
[Received November 12.]
J. No. A 2171]
My dear Mr. Lansing: I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter of 7th instant informing me that the German steamer Locksun, belonging to the Norddeutscher Lloyd, now at Honolulu, is considered by the United States Government as being a tender to H. M. S. Geier and would therefore be interned at Honolulu if she did not leave immediately.
In reply to this communication I beg you to kindly let me know on which rule or regulation the detention of the Locksun is to be based.
The Locksun can not be considered as a man-of-war, not even an auxiliary ship, but is a simple merchant ship. As to the alleged coaling of H. M. S. Geier from the Locksun, the neutrality regulations of the United States only provide that a vessel can be prevented from taking coal to a warship for a period of three months after having left an American port. As the Locksun left the last American port (Manila) on August 16 she ought to be free on November 16.
I am [etc.]