The Secretary of State to the Secretary of the Navy (Daniels)
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 15th ultimo enclosing a proposed statement of policy for the guidance of naval officers in visiting, interning, and guarding belligerent vessels of war which enter territorial waters of the United States. You ask whether the statement of policy is in accordance with the views of this Department.
[Page 719]This Department suggests that the statement of policy be modified by the insertion of the words “cooperate with the United States in using” in place of the word “use” in the first paragraph.
This Department understands that this announcement of policy or the regulations to be issued thereunder will not modify the restrictions now placed upon certain Germans interned in United States ports, and will not prevent placing the same restrictions upon any Germans who may hereafter during this war be interned in the United States, and will not grant to persons of other nationality who may be interned in the United States during the present war, greater freedom than was accorded to the Germans when they were first subjected to internment in the United States.
On these understandings this Department perceives no objection to the statement of policy with the modification suggested herein.
I have [etc.]