File No. 351.622a/53
The Ambassador in Germany (Gerard) to the Secretary of State
[Received April 14, 10 p. m.]
3745. Following note to-day received from Foreign Office:
[Translation]
According to statements which have been made to the New York Status-zeitung by one Mr. William G. Fitzgerald of New York City, Mr. Look, captain of the American steamer Missourian, while en route from St. Nazaire to New York, surrendered a German, Feldwebel, who had escaped from French captivity and who had been discovered on board the American steamer on the high sea, to the English ship Principello to be turned over to the French authorities. It is stated that Captain Look who had already surrendered at St. Nazaire, to the French authorities there, two German prisoners of war who had been on board the steamer, sent out wireless news regarding the finding of the German, Feldwebel, and thereby caused the approach of the English steamer.
Should the foregoing statements be correct, Look would have surrendered the German, Feldwebel, from American territory, such as is constituted by the American ship, to a foreign power and thus once more to captivity. The German Government believes that it may assume that the American Government will decidedly disapprove of such a procedure and will reprimand the captain accordingly. It would furthermore only be in keeping with the facts if the American Government would take the necessary steps to the end that the German, Feldwebel, be again surrendered to it by the French Government.
[Page 637]The Foreign Office requests the American Embassy to inform its Government and to advise this office, in due course, of the position taken by that Government.