File No. 855.48/587½
The British Embassy to the Department of State
Memorandum
In view of the serious loss of both the ships and the cargoes of the Belgian Relief Commission, His Britannic Majesty’s Government have regretfully arrived at the conclusion, in the absence of any apology or expression of regret by the German Government for the mistakes of their naval officers and in the face of the justification which they appear to advance in the intercepted German wireless message to the United Press of April 20, that the outrages were quite deliberate and that it is their intention to continue them.
His Majesty’s Government are most anxious to maintain the relief but are reviewing the situation in the light of the outrages on relief vessels, and the French Government are being consulted as to the course to be pursued. In the meantime, the commission in London have been informed that His Majesty’s Government would not, as at present advised, feel justified in allowing further relief vessels to proceed in the absence of reliable evidence to the effect that the Germans do not intend to sink them.