whether combatant or civilian, who attempt to escape, are subjected to additional penalties by reason of their falling into the hands of the civil power, has been removed by the explanation given on the subject at the meeting of the 26th June. The Hague, June 30, 1917. The German delegates have heard with interest the declaration of the British delegates of the 28th June, from which it appears desirable that an understanding should be arrived at on the subject of the remission of the punishments of British and German prisoners of war. They entirely agree with the view of the British delegates, and have willingly complied as far as possible in this direction with their proposals. By the understanding thus reached the point seems to be settled in a satisfactory manner. As far as concerns the punishment of German prisoners of war who have endeavoured to escape, the German delegates have no hesitation, after the explanation given by the British delegates at the sitting of the 26th June, in confirming that the supposition expressed at the end of the declaration of the 28th June is correct. Annex 6. The Hague, July 2, 1917. Parcels. Various questions were raised relating to the delay which had taken place in the delivery of parcels, especially to prisoners in the labour camps throughout Germany and in the occupied districts. This delay appears to be largely attributable to excessive censorship, some parcels before reaching their destination having been censored as often as three times. General Friedrich explained that the delays in the delivery of parcels at the camps in Germany and the strict censorship which is being exercised on parcels was due to the discovery in many cases of articles of sabotage, which had been enclosed in parcels addressed to prisoners of war in Germany. General Friedrich further stated that the wishes of the British delegates had already been met to a certain extent, and the British delegates having stated that they saw great objection to such practices and strongly deprecated them, General Friedrich suggested that the British Government should publish in the British and especially in the neutral press a statement that the including of articles of sabotage in the parcels addressed to combatant and civilian prisoners of war is deprecated and disapproved by the Government as being contrary to the interests of the whole body of prisoners of war, General Friedrich stating that he would simultaneously publish a corresponding declaration on behalf of the German Government. By these means it would be possible to give full satisfaction to the wishes of the British delegates. In order to give a guarantee for a corresponding action, General Friedrich proposes that both Governments communicate to each other the text of their publications. As soon as General Friedrich approves the British text, he will communicate to the British Government the text he proposes to publish for their approval. As soon as the two Governments have arrived at an agreement on the text of both announcements, as far as possible by telegram, the declaration shall be published by both sides on the same date agreed upon by telegram. General Friedrich then stated that he had given instructions before leaving Germany that parcels for prisoners in working camps were to be censored only at those camps, save in exceptional instances where no possibility of local censorship existed, in which cases the parcels would be censored at the parent camp before being sent on to their destination as far as possible undamaged. He added that as the result of his conversation with the British delegates this would be the practice in the future. General Friedrich also stated that these parcels were now delivered in the working camps in occupied districts as freely as in the camps in Germany, and that in these camps the same privileges of correspondence would be permitted to the prisoners as in other camps. Special cases of excessive censorship, which would lead to the deterioration of the goods, would be enquired into and avoided as much as possible in future. CORRESPONDENCE with the German Government regarding the alleged Misuse of British Hospital Ships.-February-October, 1917.* (No. 1.)-Mr. Page to Mr. Balfour. THE American Ambassador presents his compliments to His Majesty's Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, and * Parliamentary Paper, "Miscellaneous, No. 16 (1917)." A circular despatch addressed to His Majesty's Diplomatic Representatives in allied and neutral countries respecting the torpedoing by German submarines of British hospital ships was published as Parliamentary Paper, "Miscellaneous, No. 26 (1918)," see page 199. has the honour to transmit, herewith enclosed, a copy of a letter he has received from the Ambassador at Berlin, which he had despatched before the severance of diplomatic relations between the United States and Germany, enclosing a copy of the note verbale from the German Government, together with a copy of the enclosure accompanying it, relative to the alleged misuse of enemy hospital ships. American Embassy, London, February 7, 1917. (Enclosure 1.)-Mr. Gerard to Mr. Page. THE American Ambassador in Berlin presents his compliments to the Ambassador at London, and has the honour to transmit herewith a copy of a note verbale from the Imperial Foreign Office dated the 28th January, 1917, together with a single copy of the enclosure accompanying it, relative to the alleged misuse of enemy hospital ships, and stating that, after a reasonable lapse of time, all enemy hospital ships found within a certain stated maritime zone will be regarded as belligerent. For Mr. Page's information Mr. Gerard has the honour to add that a copy of the enclosed note is being forwarded to the Department of State for its information. American Embassy, Berlin, (Translation.) (Enclosure 2.)-Note verbale. THE Imperial Foreign Office has the honour to transmit herewith to the United States Embassy three copies of a Memorandum of the German Government relative to the misuse of enemy hospital ships, with the request that one copy may be communicated without delay to the British Government. At the same time, the United States Embassy are requested to inform the British Government by telegraph of the contents of the Memorandum, especially as regards the declaration of the German Government that, after a short interval, they will treat enemy hospital ships in the maritime zone between the lines Flamborough Head-Terschelling and Ushant-Land's End as belligerent. Berlin, January 28, 1917. (Enclosure 3.)-Memorandum of the German Government respecting the Misuse of Enemy Hospital Ships. (Translation.) FOR Some time the enemy Governments, especially the British Government, have used their hospital ships not only for the purpose of rendering assistance to the wounded, sick, and shipwrecked, but also for military purposes, and have thereby violated The Hague Convention* regarding the application of the Geneva Convention to maritime warfare. The fact that the British Government during the campaign on the Gallipoli Peninsula designated to the Governments of the Central Powers a disproportionately large number of ships as hospital ships, which could not possibly serve exclusively for the transport and care of the sick and wounded, already tended to arouse suspicion. In 1915 alone not less than fifty-nine ships were notified by them as hospital ships after forty ships had already been notified as hospital ships since the beginning of the war. After the victorious completion of the Gallipoli campaign, the Turkish Government informed neutral Powers in a note of protest that the English commanders had used the hospital ships in the eastern part of the Mediterranean for the purpose of bringing back troops and military supplies. Furthermore, the British Government did not, as is the general custom, equip certain ships once and for all as hospital ships for use for the duration of the war, but often placed one and the same ship on the list of hospital ships, and then again cancelled it from the list, so that the German Government was hardly able to convey to its naval forces in due time information to the required effect. The steamship "Copenhagen," for instance, which was used by the British Government as a transport, was notified as a hospital ship in a note from the American Embassy at Berlin, dated the 14th October, 1914; subsequently, on the 6th February, 1915, she was notified as having been struck off the list, on the 1st January, 1916, again added to the list, and on the 4th March, 1916, again struck off the list. This procedure conveyed the impression that uncertainty and confusion were to be aroused regarding the character of the ships used for this purpose, which permitted the display of the peaceful or belligerent character of the ship according to requirements. Furthermore, in 1915 the German Government received numerous trustworthy reports that the English hospital ships in the Channel, which chiefly served the purpose of • Vol. C, fetching the wounded of the British army fighting on French and Belgian soil from French harbours and transporting them to English harbours, were conspicuously heavily laden on the journey from England to France, while on the return journey they had normal draught (Annexes 1 to 4). This fact led to various observers, especially ship captains, to conclude that the ships were being employed on the outward journey to France to transport munitions, and that the Red Cross emblem was being abused (Annexes 2 and 3). This presumption was then confirmed by a quantity of unexceptionable testimony (Annexes 5 to 9). English soldiers frankly admitted the use of hospital ships for such purposes (Annex 2). A French sergeant told a German prisoner that he had closely observed the loading of munitions from many automobiles into the hospital ship "La France in the harbour of Marseilles (Annex 8). According to the affidavit of a trustworthy neutral, English sailors have stated that the transport of munitions to France was often effected by means of hospital ships on the part of the English (Annex 9). Finally, there are statements on oath from eye-witnesses who were present when munitions were being loaded on board hospital ships (Annexes 10 and 11). The worst breach of the above-mentioned Hague Convention, however, is to be found in the fact that the British and French Governments have in numerous cases effected the transport of their troops by means of hospital ships. Apart from the fact that superior officers appear to prefer travelling on hospital ships (Annexes 12 and 13), a large number of trustworthy reports, including especially sworn statements relative to the transport of bodies of troops, are to hand (Annexes 11, 14 to 20). Evidently the transport of troops by means of hospital ships is a regular practice in the Channel. Besides this, it has on different occasions been ascertained that these ships are armed (Annexes 11,* 21 to 23). The reports of trustworthy informants and witnesses, who are mentioned in the annexes, t constitute only a small part of the material in the possession of the German Government. The names of several of these persons could not De mentioned, because they are either directly or indirectly within the reach of the enemy's power, and would therefore be exposed to severe reprisals if their names were given. In any case, no doubt exists in the mind of the German Government that the enemy Governments have continually, and most seriously, violated by their action The Hague No reference was made in Annex 11 to the arming of hospital ships. + Not printed, |