File No. 763.72/2742
The British Ambassador (Spring Rice) to the Secretary of State
Memorandum
In connection with the question of the status of merchant vessels armed for purposes of defence an enquiry was made by the Department [Page 272] of State as to whether the British Admiralty orders to merchant captains impose any penalty in the event of a defensively armed merchant vessel failing to use such armament for aggressive purposes, and whether there is any reward offered for the destruction of enemy submarines.
The British Ambassador is instructed to state in reply to this enquiry that the Admiralty instructions for defensively armed vessels, dated the 20th October, 1915, the contents of which are already known to the United States Government, enjoin a strict adherence to defensive action only, and no question of the infliction of any penalty for failure to take offensive action can therefore arise. Further, no defensively armed British ship has received any money award from His Majesty’s Government for firing upon an enemy vessel.
[Received June 7.]