Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, 1917, Supplement 1, The World War

File No. 841.857/297

The Ambassador in Germany ( Gerard) to the Secretary of State

[Telegram]

Berlin, January 15, 1917, 2 p.m.
[Received January 16, 5 p.m.]

4882. The following note relative to the sinking of the English steamer Barbara has just been received:

Foreign Office,
Berlin, January 14, 1917.

The undersigned has the honor to inform his excellency Mr. James W. Gerard, Ambassador of the United States of America, in reply to the note of Mr. J. C. Grew, dated December 11 last (Foreign Office No. 14836), on the sinking of the steamer Barbara as follows:

According to the investigations of the German naval authorities the steamer Barbara was stopped by a German submarine with a shot of warning on October 20, 1916, a few miles south of the Isle of Wight; the crew then immediately entered the boats. After the commander had convinced himself that the crew had been taken on board of the Spanish steamer Victor Chavarri and was thus in a place of safety he sank the vessel.

The undersigned requests that the above may be communicated to the American Government and avails himself [etc.] Zimmermann.

Gerard