File No. 763.72111/4542

The Secretary of War ( Baker) to the Secretary of State

Sir: Referring to previous correspondence relative to the treatment of German vessels and their crews in Philippine waters,1 I beg to quote below a cable just received from the Governor General of the Philippine Islands bearing to-day’s date:

Referring to telegram from your office of 15th inst., German vessels in Philippine ports are in custody of collectors of customs; have constabulary guards on board and sufficient technical personnel furnished at Manila by United States Navy, and at other ports by customs, to safeguard the vessels and prevent deterioration. All instructions contained in your telegram of February 7 literally carried out immediately on receipt; in fact everything you required had already been done before the receipt, except to notify them that they might dismantle their vessels. The greater part of the officers and crews taken from the German ships in Manila Harbor were, upon written request of German Consul and of their own volition, transported at the expense of the Government to Baguio where they are quartered in government buildings and fed at the expense of the Government. They are perfectly free to come and go as they wish, are not guarded, and are managed by a committee of their own officers. They are apparently well pleased with their condition. The masters of all the vessels in Manila Harbor have filed formal protests against their occupation by our guards. These protests were filed under instructions from their New York office.

This cable is in reply to our cable to the Governor General of the 15th instant, as follows:

Referring to telegram from this office of the 7th instant, what is present status of German vessels and of their crews?

My cable of the 7th, referred to above, was as follows:

It is of utmost importance that it be made plain that German merchant ships have not been seized and that crews are not in any sense imprisoned or interned, but that steps taken are purely for the protection of the harbor and other shipping. Suggest that you inform German Consul that the Insular Government claims no interest in ships and will permit their crews to dismantle them if they desire, but can not permit their destruction in the harbor or at places where other shipping will be endangered. Also that officers and crews of ships be accorded all the rights and privileges of other foreigners temporarily resident in the Islands and be made to understand that their movements are entirely unrestricted, subject only to the common obligation of all to obey the law.

Very respectfully,

Newton D. Baker
  1. Not printed.