File No. 763.72111/3935
The Secretary of the Navy ( Daniels ) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 16.]
Sir: By agreement with the Treasury Department the Navy Department is taking over exclusive cognizance of the internment of belligerent vessels of war. I have caused to be prepared certain regulations for the guidance of naval officers in visiting, interning, and guarding belligerent vessels of war which enter the territorial waters of the United States. These regulations are based, in part, on the assumption that:
The policy of the United States regarding the internment of belligerent vessels of war is as follows:
If the government to which the vessel belongs will give its assurance that neither such vessel nor any member of her crew will attempt to leave the territory of the United States, or violate the neutrality thereof during the war in progress; and if that government will authorize the officers to give their parole to that effect, and the commanding officer to give his parole for the enlisted men under his command; and if further the government to which the vessel belongs will use all practicable means to apprehend, punish, and return to the custody of the United States any officer or member of the crew thus paroled who escapes—
Then the Government of the United States will accept such assurances and paroles and will, after the officers and men have been paroled and after the vessel has been rendered incapable of again taking the sea, extend to such vessel, its officers and crew, the treatment which is usual in time of peace, reserving only such supervision as necessary to safeguard the neutrality of the United States:
Provided that the right to revoke the above privileges at any time without notice and without assigning a cause, and to place in operation the vigorous methods of internment recognized by international law as legitimate, is reserved, such revocation to be considered in no sense an unfriendly act.
If the above statement of policy is in accord with your views, I propose incorporating the statement of policy in the printed regulations.
Respectfully,