File No. 763.72/1970
The Ambassador in Germany ( Gerard ) to the Secretary of State
[Received July 22, 3 p. m.]
2609. Foreign Office requests attention of Department called to the fact that the news of the schedule of arrival of the Saint Paul in Liverpool on June 26, as transmitted in Department’s 1858, June 21,1 only reached German Government on June 23. Likewise the news of schedule of arrival of the Philadelphia in Liverpool on July 10, as announced Department’s 1912, July 6,1 only reached German Government on July 8. The Foreign Office transmitted the information at once to the Admiralty. Admiralty states, however, that such a late notification fails of its purpose, as it is impossible to place the German naval forces concerned sufficiently early in possession of the information regarding the schedule of the steamer.
In order that such advance notification may take place in all cases with certainty, the schedule of the American steamer must be made known some weeks before the arrival of the ship in the war zone. It would be best if the notification were made early enough to have the German submarines acquainted with the name and schedule of the steamer one month before the arrival of the steamer in the war zone. Such an early notification can scarcely present insuperable difficulties, as the sailings of the steamers making regular journeys are generally fixed for a very long period in advance.