File No. 763.72111K92/56
The Secretary of State to the German Ambassador (Bernstorff)
Excellency: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt, in due course, of your note of November 11, 1915, relative to the applications made by the commanders of the interned German vessels Kronprinz Wilhelm, and Prinz Eitel Friedrich for permission for those ships to be put in full repair, and, in the case of the Kronprinz Wilhelm, for permission to begin the restoration of passenger accommodations.
In reply I have the honor to say that, after full reconsideration of the question of the repairs proposed to be made on these two vessels, I regret to inform you that this Government can not consent to the extensive repairs desired to be made so long as they involve the reconversion of the vessels into merchant ships and the consequent loss of their naval character. The position of this Government is briefly that internment applies to vessels stamped with a naval character, and some question may arise as to the exercise of the right of interning the vessels in question and their officers and crews, if they were allowed to assume a merchant character.
Accept [etc.]