File No. 763.72112/2368
The Secretary of the Navy (Daniels) to the Secretary of State
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 14th instant,1 transmitting a copy of a note from the British Ambassador at this Capital, in which is described the procedure adopted by the British Government for visiting and searching neutral merchantmen, in consequence of the alleged use of neutral flags and neutral distinguishing marks by German naval authorities in order to conceal the identity of certain of their vessels. It is noted that the British Ambassador expresses the assured feeling that the United States Government will recognize the necessity for the procedure decided upon and will inform merchant shipping in American ports accordingly.
In reply, I beg to state that this Department is not in sympathy with the proposed departure from the established procedure under [Page 682] international law prescribed for the exercise of belligerent right of visit and search, and considers it would be inadvisable and unwise to enter into any form of agreement with one belligerent power recognizing a departure or change from such established custom.
Sincerely yours,
- Not printed. See footnote to the preceding document.↩