File No. 763.72111Ei9/96

The Secretary of State to the German Ambassador ( Bernstorff )

Excellency: The Department of State has received from the Navy Department the report of the board of naval officers who made an examination of H.M.S. Prinz Eitel Friedrich, now in the harbor of Newport News, Virginia, with a view to ascertaining the repairs necessary to put the vessel in a thoroughly seaworthy condition, and from this report it appears that the time required for these repairs will be a period of 14 working days. The Government has concluded, therefore, that H.M.S. Prinz Eitel Friedrich will be allowed until midnight of the close of the 6th day of April next to complete her repairs, and that she will be allowed 24 hours in addition, or until midnight of the 7th day of April, to leave the territorial waters of the United States, or failing this that she will be under the necessity of accepting internment within American jurisdiction during the continuance of the wars in which your country is now engaged.

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This information has been confidentially conveyed to the Treasury Department with the request that it be transmitted immediately to the commander of H. M. S. Prinz Eitel Friedrich.

Accept [etc.]

W. J. Bryan