adopt countermeasures. His Majesty's Government have therefore authorized a minelaying policy in certain areas and a system of minefields has been established and is being developed upon a considerable scale. In order to reduce risks to noncombatants the Admiralty announce that it is dangerous henceforward for ships to cross area between Latitude fifty-one degrees fifteen minutes north and fiftyone degrees forty minutes north and Longitude one degree thirty-five minutes east and three degrees east. In this connection it must be remembered that the southern limit of the German minefield is latitude fifty-two degrees north. Although these limits are assigned to the danger area it must not be supposed that navigation is safe in any part of the southern waters of the North Sea. Instructions have been issued to His Majesty's ships to warn east-going vessels of the presence of this new minefield. You should inform Government to which you are accredited without delay. No. 704.] Ambassador Herrick to the Secretary of State. AMERICAN EMBASSY, SIR: Confirming my telegram No. 184 of this date, relative to the placing of submarine mines in the Adriatic Sea, I have the honor to transmit herewith a copy and translation, together with its inclosure, of a note from the Minister for Foreign Affairs, giving the text of the advice inserted in the Journal Officiel in regard thereto. I have, etc., MYRON T. HERRICK. [Inclosure-Translation.] MINISTRY FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS, The Minister for Foreign Affairs has the honor to transmit to His Excellency the Ambassador of the United States; the accompanying notification made in conformity with the stipulation of Article 3, Par. 2 of the 8th Convention of The Hague 1907 relative to the use of submarine mines. BORDEAUX, October 6, 1914. [Sub-inclosure-Translation.] NOTICE. Published in the Journal Officiel Official part. Automatic mines having been sown in the Adriatic sea by the Austro-Hungarian navy, the French naval forces have been obliged to resort to similar measures in the said sea. However, in order to avoid that inoffensive neutral ships should suffer harm such as has been unjustly caused by the Austro-Hungarian mines, the mines laid down by the French navy are in conformity with the provisions stipulated by the 8th Convention of the Hague, 1907. The zone that is dangerous to navigation, comprises the territorial waters of the Austro-Hungarian kingdom and the channels between the islands along the coast of Dalmatia. Notice is hereby given to all whom it may concern, in conformity with Article 3, Par. 2 of the aforesaid Convention. Approved: Ambassador W. H. Page to the Secretary of State. [Telegram.] AMERICAN EMBASSY, London, October 28, 1914. Referring to my 926,1 October twenty-seventh. A German mine field has been discovered off the north coast of Ireland and the British Admiralty warns shipping not to pass within sixty miles of Tory Island. One British ship bound from Manchester to Montreal struck a mine there and went down. This mine field is in a location which suggests that it was meant rather for merchant than naval ships. Part of channels of the Thames have been closed by Admiralty. 1 Not printed. A Dutch ship struck a mine forty miles north of Ymuiden and sank. The sinking of the passenger boat across the channel by a mine is disputed. PAGE. Ambassador W. H. Page to the Secretary of State. [Telegram-Paraphrase.] AMERICAN EMBASSY, London, November 2, 1914. Mr. Page states that he is informed by Sir Edward Grey that the mine fields North of Ireland were laid by Germans from vessels flying neutral flags. The mines are directly in the path of some of the transatlantic vessels and the liner Olympic recently was dangerously near the mines. The danger from the mines is constantly spreading over a wider area. No. 375.] The British Ambassador to the Secretary of State. BRITISH EMBASSY, Washington, November 3, 1914. SIR: In compliance with instructions received from Sir Edward Grey, His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, I have the honour to enclose herewith copy of a telegram which he has addressed to me recommending certain routes to be followed for ships wishing to trade to and from Norway, the Baltic, Denmark, and Holland. I have, etc., [Inclosure.] CECIL SPRING RICE. November 3, 1914. Please inform Government to which you are accredited that the Admiralty are issuing the following announcement: During the last week the Germans have scattered mines indiscriminately in the open sea on main trade route from America to Liverpool via North of Ireland. Peaceful merchant ships have already been. blown up with loss of life by this agency. The White Star liner Olympic escaped disaster by pure good luck and but for warnings given by British cruisers other British and neutral merchant and passenger vessels would have been destroyed. These mines can not have been laid by any German ship of war. They have been laid by some merchant vessels flying neutral flag which have come along the trade route as if for purposes of peaceful commerce and while profiting to the full by immunity enjoyed by neutral merchant ships have wantonly and recklessly endangered the lives of all who travel on the sea regardless of whether they are friend or foe, civilian or military in character. Minelaying under neutral flag and reconnaissance conducted by trawlers, hospital ships, and neutral vessels are the ordinary features of German naval warfare. In these circumstances, having regard to the great interests entrusted to the British Navy, to the safety of peaceful commerce on high seas, and to the maintenance within limits of international law of trade between neutral countries, the Admiralty feel it necessary to adopt exceptional measures appropriate to the novel conditions under which this war is being waged. They therefore give notice that the whole of the North Sea must be considered a military area. Within this area merchant shipping of all kinds, traders of all countries, fishing craft, and all other vessels will be exposed to the gravest dangers from mines which it has been necessary to lay and from warships searching vigilantly by night and day for suspicious craft. All merchant and fishing vessels of every description are hereby warned of the dangers they encounter by entering this area except in strict accordance with Admiralty directions. Every effort will be made to convey this warning to neutral countries and to vessels on the sea, but from the 5th of November onwards the Admiralty announce that all ships passing a line drawn from the northern point of the Hebrides through Faroe Islands to Iceland do so at their own peril. Ships of all countries wishing to trade to and from Norway, the Baltic, Denmark, and Holland are advised to come, if inward bound, by the English channel and Straits of Dover. There they will be given sailing directions which will pass them safely so far as Great Britain is concerned up the East Coast of England to Farne Island, whence safe route will, if possible, be given to Lindesnaes Lightship. From this point they should turn North or South according to their destination, keeping as near the coast as possible. Converse applies to vessels outward bound. By strict adherence to these routes the commerce of all countries will be able to reach its destination in safety so far as Great Britain is concerned, but any straying even for a few miles from the course thus indicated may be followed by serious consequences. BRITISH EMBASSY, Washington. Ambassador Marye to the Secretary of State. [Telegram.] AMERICAN EMBASSY, Petrograd, November 5, 1914. Russian Government officially notifies Embassy that it has placed mines in zone from fifty-eight fifty north latitude and to east of twenty-first meridian also at entrance of Gulf of Riga and around Aland Islands and consequently entrance and exit of Finnish and Riga Gulfs forbidden. MARYE. No. 261.] Ambassador Gerard to the Secretary of State. AMERICAN EMBASSY, Berlin, November 13, 1914. SIR: With reference to my cipher telegram No. 823, dated November 12, 1914,1 I have the honor to transmit to you herewith a copy in translation of the reply of the German Government to the protest of the British Government against the laying of German mines. I have, etc., JAMES W. GERARD. [Inclosure Translation.] REPLY OF THE GERMAN GOVERNMENT TO THE PROTEST OF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT AGAINST THE LAYING OF GERMAN MINES. It has been brought to the knowledge of the German Government that the British Government addressed a Note to the neutral Powers 'Not printed; gives purport of inclosure herewith. |