File No. 811.0151/119
The Ambassador in Great Britain (Page) to the Secretary of State
No. 2675]
London,
December 11, 1915.
[Received December 29.]
Sir: With reference to the Department’s
instruction No. 1864 of November 9, 1915,1 respecting the reported
improper use of the American flag by the British war vessel Baralong, I have the honor to enclose
herewith a copy of the note from the Foreign Office upon which my
telegram No. 3384 of to-day1 was based.
I have [etc.]
[Enclosure]
The British Secretary of State for Foreign
Affairs (Grey) to
the American Ambassador (Page)
No. 185175/15]
London,
December 10, 1915.
Your Excellency: In the communication
which I had the honour to receive from you under date of the
24th ultimo, your excellency requested that, in view of
contradictory statements circulated on the subject, you might be
furnished with an authoritative statement as to whether His
Majesty’s ship
[Page 651]
Baralong when attacking an enemy
submarine on August 19 last, hauled down the United States flag
which she had previously been flying before opening fire.
I have the honour to state in reply that the Lords Commissioners
of the Admiralty, to whom I referred your excellency’s request,
inform me that the report of the commanding officer, His
Majesty’s ship Baralong, dated the 20th
August, states that when he sighted an enemy submarine shelling
the steamship Nicosian on the 19th August
the Baralong was flying neutral colours.
The statement of persons on board the Nicosian that the colours were those of the United
States may be accepted as correct though it is not so stated in
the official report. The Baralong
proceeded to close the Nicosian and then
passed out of sight of the submarine behind the Nicosian.
The commanding officer’s report proceeds: “The moment Baralong was out of sight behind Nicosian I struck the neutral colours and
hoisted the white ensign and trained two guns just in front of
that vessel’s bow ready for the next appearance of the
submarine, which I knew would be at close range.”
No shot was fired under neutral colours, the whole of the
engagement taking place while the white ensign was flying.
I have [etc.]
For
Sir Edward Grey
:
W. Langley
