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

File No. 763.72/3162

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

[Telegram]

Washington, February 1, 1917, 4 p.m.

3351 Your numbers 4925,² 4951,³ and 4957.⁴ Department has only received from German Ambassador a note dated January 10,⁵ enclosing a memorandum calling attention to the reports from England of arming of merchant vessels, particularly with guns at the bow, and mentioning certain admiralty orders found on board French and Italian vessels, regarding use of guns and giving a brief argument to show that the armed merchantmen of the Allied, powers should be regarded and treated as warships even according to the principles laid down in the American memorandum of March 25, 1916.⁶ This Government has been considering the status of armed ships and has not been in position to reply to this note. It received, yesterday, the note declaring the submarine blockade of England which would seem to make a reply now superfluous.

Lansing

2. Ante, p. 94.
3. Ante, p. 96.
4. Ante, p. 97.
5. Ante, p. 82.
6. Foreign Relations, 1916, Supplement, p. 244.