File No. 711. 6221/153
The Secretary of State to Chargé Grew
Washington, November 9, 1916.
Sir: The Department acknowledges the receipt of the Ambassador’s No. 3754 of August 7, 1916, with which, having reference to the Department’s circular instruction of March 9, 1916, quoting, at the request of the Acting Secretary of Commerce, for the information of the Embassy, and for communication to the German Government, a circular letter addressed by the commissioner of navigation to collectors of customs, shipping commissioners and others concerned, and forwarding a print of the Act of Congress of March 4, 1915, known as the “Seamen’s Act”, the Embassy transmits a translation of a note of August 3, 1916, from the German Foreign Office stating that, though the advice which is provided for in Section 16 of the above-mentioned act to the effect that the Government of the [Page 14] United States intends to annul the articles of the valid treaties conflicting with the contents of this act, after expiration of the terms of notice, has as yet not been received by the Foreign Office, the Foreign Office does not fail to advise the Embassy, for communication to its Government, that the Seamen’s Act contains regulations which are not consistent with agreements in the treaties concluded by Germany with the United States.
In this relation you are referred to the Department’s instruction of this day’s date on the subject.
I am [etc.]