Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, 1915, Supplement, The World War

File No. 344d112P59/4

The Ambassador in Great Britain (Page) to the Secretary of State

No. 1166]

London, April 6, 1915.
[Received April 16.]

Sir: With reference to your telegram No. 1209 of March 2 last,¹ relative to the detention of August Piepenbrink, I have the honor to enclose herewith a copy of a note I have just received from the Foreign Office, stating that the British and French Governments have decided to liberate this man as a friendly act, while reserving the question of principle involved, upon which my telegram No. 1879 of to-day was based.

I have [etc.]

Walter Hines Page

[Enclosure]

The British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Grey) to the American Ambassador (Page)

No. 30015/15

[File copy undated.]

Your Excellency: With reference to your excellency’s note of the 4th instant, relative to the detention of August Piepenbrink, a German subject, who was taken prisoner by the French cruiser Condé out of the United States steamship Windber and is at present detained at Kingston, Jamaica, I have the honour to inform your excellency that His Majesty’s. Government, in common with the French Government, have decided to liberate this man as a friendly act, while reserving the question of principle involved.

I have [etc.]

For the Secretary of State:

A. Law

1. See footnote 2, ante, p. 747.