File No. 841.857/252
The Chargé in Germany (Grew) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 8, 7.25 p. m.]
4702. The following note with regard to the sinking of the Sebek has just been received:
Foreign Office, Berlin , December 6, 1916 .
The undersigned has the honor to reply as follows to the note of Mr. Grew, Chargé d’Affaires of the United States of America dated the 21st ultimo, Foreign Office Nr. 14221, relative to the sinking of the British vessel Sebek by a German submarine.
According to the investigations of the German Naval authorities a German submarine attacked without warning and sank on October 12 last close to the war port of La Valetta, Malta, a ship which was under way with lights smothered and without position lanterns, and which therefore had to be considered as a warship by the German commander.
A completely darkened ship which, contrary to the international provisions relative to the carrying of lights at sea, displays no streamer (?) and a position of lights thereby characterizes itself as a warship, in the war area at any rate, or still more in the neighborhood of a war port as in the present case. Should then the darkened ship sunk off Malta actually have been identical with the British steamer Sebek the blame for jeopardizing lives of the Americans hired on the Sebek attached solely to the captain who, in order to evade measures of prize by the German cruisers recognized by international laws, took upon himself the danger involved in neglecting, contrary to international law, the international provisions relative to the carrying of lights.
The undersigned requests that the above be communicated to the American Government and avails himself [etc.]
Representations of December 9, 1916, Concerning the Sinking of the “Trevarrack”, “Barbara”, “Trippel”, “Lökken”, “Palermo”, and “ John Lambert ”