The Acting Secretary of State to the British Ambassador (Spring Rice)
Excellency: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of July 3, 1916, in further relation to the discrepancy between the conclusion of the British and Mexican officers in regard to the distance at which the S. S. Zealandia was lying from the shore at the time she was visited by a party from the British cruiser Isis.
In reply I have the honor to say that, as already stated in this Department’s note of June 23, 1916,1 this Government reserves all its rights in this case, and it is only necessary to add that this Government has adopted this course out of its regard for the assertions of His Majesty’s Government in a case involving a disagreement as to facts. This Government, however, remains of the opinion that even assuming that the facts are as stated by your excellency’s Government, the search of an American vessel only a short distance beyond three miles from shore, in the harbor of a neutral country and in charge of the customs officials of Mexico, is an undue and discourteous exercise of belligerent rights.
I have [etc.]
- Not printed.↩