File No. 841.857/242
The Chargé in Germany (Grew) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 5, 9 p. m.]
4685. The following note relative to the sinking of the Arabia has just been received:
Foreign Office, Berlin , December 4, 1916 .
The undersigned has the honor to inform Mr. Grew, Chargé d’Affaires of the United States of America, in reply to the note of the 21st ultimo, Foreign Office Nr. 14401, that the investigation conducted by the German Government concerning the sinking of the British steamer Arabia has led to the following results:
On the morning of November 6 a German submarine encountered a large steamer coming from the Cerigo Straits, 100 nautical miles west of the island of Cerigo; the steamer was painted black and had black superstructures and not, as is otherwise the case with the P. & O. Line superstructures, a light color; the steamer, which was identical with the Arabia, was not traveling on the route regularly used by the passenger steamers between Port Said and Malta, as is made plain on the enclosed map,1 but was taking a zigzag course towards the west 120 nautical miles north of that route; this course, on which the submarine had passed three similar steamers at the same spot on the same morning, leads from the Aegean to Malta, so that the Arabia was moving on the transport route Cerigo-Malta used solely for war purposes according to the experiences until now. The commander of the submarine further ascertained that there were large batches of Chinese and other colored persons in their national costumes on board the steamer. He considered them to be workmen soldiers such as are used in great numbers behind the front by the enemies of Germany. In spite of the clear weather and careful observation, he did not perceive any women and children.
In these circumstances the commander of the submarine was convinced that in the case of this steamer he was concerned with a transport ship for troops in the service of the British Government which is to be considered as an auxiliary warship according to international law, and can therefore be treated like a warship. He accordingly considered himself justified in attacking the steamer without delay, and sank it.
Should the American Government give the official data showing that the Arabia was at the time of the torpedoing an ordinary passenger steamer, the action of the commander would not have been in accordance with the instructions given him, since these instructions are now as before in agreement with the assurances of the German note of May [4], 1916. This would then be a case of a regrettable mistake from which the German Government would promptly draw the appropriate consequences.
The undersigned requests the Chargé d’Affaires to bring the above to the knowledge of the American Government and avails himself [etc.]
- Not printed.↩