File No. 341.115St2/137
The Ambassador in Great Britain (
Page
) to the Secretary of State
No. 1412]
London
,
May 18, 1915.
[Received June 1.]
Sir: Adverting to the Department’s
cablegram No. 1408 of April 12,1 in regard to the detention of the S. S. Wico by the British authorities, and
instructing me to acquaint the British Government that the
Government of the United States considered that any question arising
out of the seizure of American cargoes by the German authorities
would be a matter for adjustment between the two Governments, and
could not afford justification for the seizure of American cargoes
by the British authorities, I have the honor to transmit herewith,
for the information of the Department, a copy of a note, under date
of May 16, which I have received from the Foreign Office in reply to
my representations in the premises.
I have [etc.]
[Enclosure]
The British Secretary of State for Foreign
Affairs (
Grey
) to
the American Ambassador (
Page
)
No. 46625/15
May 16, 1915.
Sir: I have the honour to acknowledge
the receipt of the note of the 16th ultimo, in which your
excellency stated, in connection with the detention of the
American ship Wico, that the Government
of the United States considered [Page 423] that any question arising out of the
seizure of American cargoes by the German authorities would be a
matter for adjustment between the two Governments, and could not
afford justification for the seizure of American cargoes by
British authorities.
I regret that my note of the 7th instant did not explain with
sufficient clearness the attitude which His Majesty’s Government
feel constrained to adopt in the matter. They had no intention
of claiming the right to interfere with neutral vessels on their
way to neutral ports, on the ground that such vessels were
liable to be captured by enemy cruisers. I should have stated
that the recent seizures of a number of such vessels and their
diversion to German ports were effected in circumstances which
left no doubt that there was collusion between the parties
interested in the cargoes and the German authorities.
The right which His Majesty’s Government claim, and which they
feel confident will not be questioned by the United States
Government, is that neutral ships may be held up in cases where
there are good grounds to suspect that their ostensible
destination is not the genuine destination, and that fraudulent
arrangements have been concerted with the enemy cruisers for
delivering ship and cargo into their hands.
I have [etc.]
For the Secretary of State:
W. Langley
