File No. 763.72111K92/54
The German Ambassador (Bernstorff) to the Secretary of State
[Received November 16.]
Mr. Secretary of State: The German authorities in concurrence with the North German Lloyd have instructed the commanders of H. M. S. Kronprinz Wilhelm and Prinz Eitel Friedrich to take steps to have the ships put in full repair and in the case of the Kronprinz Wilhelm to begin work for the restoration of passenger accommodations.
To an application to that effect from the commanders of both ships the Navy Department replied with the decision of which a copy is enclosed.1 As your excellency will see, repairs are authorized in so far only as necessary to place the vessels in a seaworthy condition.
[Page 839]I have the honor to be your excellency kindly to let me know what are the grounds for that restriction.
It would be a matter of importance to both the Imperial Government and the North German Lloyd to have the requisite work taken up to its fullest extent even now so as to enable both ships immediately to resume operations as merchant vessels upon the termination of their internment.
Internment conditions should not stand in the way of starting the work, since Article 24 of the second [thirteenth?] Hague convention only makes it the duty of a neutral power to take such measures as it considers necessary to render the interned ship incapable of taking the sea during the war. The ship can thus be prevented from putting to sea by removing such parts as are important to her propulsion, screws, cylinder heads, and so forth, and, if, in addition, the neutral state places the ship’s officers and men under sufficient restraint to prevent them from again joining their home-fighting forces, it discharges all its neutral obligations.
Internal improvements do not impair the ship’s internment and, in the present case, it is all the more so as the proposed work will divest the steamers of the characteristics of a warship.
The repairs do not constitute any warlike operation but a purely business proposition, the sole object of which is to save expenses later.
I therefore have the honor to beg your excellency kindly to obtain permission for the necessary repairs to be made on H.M.S. Kronprinz Wilhelm and Prinz Eitel Friedrich.
I should be under special obligations if the matter would be expedited as the work should begin on the ships soon.
Accept [etc.]
- Not printed.↩