special directions to a neutral vessel the Admiralty desires to be assured that the vessel's voyage is undertaken with the knowledge and consent of the government of the country whose flag she flies, and for this reason it is necessary that the application by a neutral vessel for advice as to special routes should be supported by the diplomatic representative of the government in question. If such support to the application is not given neutral vessels will not receive the special instructions as to the northabout route and will be advised to go southabout where they can be supplied with the latest warnings and obtain the services of pilots where necessary. PAGE. The Secretary of State to Ambassador W. H. Page. [Telegram.] No. 1908.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, July 26, 1915. Your 2517, July 23. Department understands requirement in Admiralty Notice May 15 that neutral vessels bound to North Sea by northabout route must obtain from Admiralty special directions through their diplomatic representatives applies only to vessels sailing from British ports and not to vessels sailing direct from American or other neutral ports. Ascertain and report whether this understanding is correct. Have any American owned or chartered vessels applied for such directions through Embassy or been interfered with for failure to apply. Also notify Consul General. LANSING. Ambassador W. H. Page to the Secretary of State. [Telegram.] AMERICAN EMBASSY, London, August 17, 1915. I am in receipt of a note from Sir Edward Grey in reply to my representations based on the Department's instructions which reads. as follows: I have the honor to inform Your Excellency in reply that in principle His Majesty's Government would desire that neutral vessels passing northabout from one neutral port to another should sail with the knowledge and consent of the Government of the country whose flag they fly and should follow a track similar as far as possible to that used by vessels sailing from British ports. The difficulty of ensuring this is however so considerable and the responsibility of His Majesty's Government in the matter is so slight that no endeavor is being made in practice to secure any such limitation of sailings. PAGE. Consul General Skinner to the Secretary of State. [Telegram.] AMERICAN CONSULATE GENERAL, London, September 3, 1915. Admiralty Order 764. Traffic in Straits Dover between Varne Shoal and Folkestone must pass between light vessels mooredfirst 21⁄2 miles 140 degrees south 26 degrees east magnitude (?) from Folkestone pierhead latitude 51 degrees 02 minutes 40 seconds north longitude 1 degree 14 minutes 10 seconds east; second 5 cables 150 degrees south 16 degrees east magnitude (?) from first. Ships disregarding this warning do so at own peril. SKINNER. Ambassador W. H. Page to the Secretary of State. [Telegram.] AMERICAN EMBASSY, Following circular note received to-day from Foreign Office, dated May first, 1916. The Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs presents his compliments to the United States Ambassador and has the honour to acquaint him for the information of the United States Government that it has been found necessary to extend the eastern limit of the danger area of the British minefield off the Belgian coast, notified on the twenty-second October, 1914, so as to include the waters south of latitude fifty-one degrees, forty minutes north, as far as the Meridian of three degrees, twenty minutes east, instead of three degrees east as previously notified. Sir E. Grey would remind Dr. Page that the danger area as notified on the second October, 1914, comprised that situated between latitude fifty-one degrees, fifteen minutes and fifty-one degrees, forty minutes north, and longitude one degree, thirty-five minutes east, and three degrees east. PAGE. Ambassador W. H. Page to the Secretary of State. [Telegram.] AMERICAN EMBASSY, London, May 29, 1916. Respecting mine field off Belgian coast. Foreign Office inform me under date May twenty-seventh that the Eastern limit of the danger area of the British mine field off the Belgian coast should be defined as the meridian of three degrees eighteen minutes east instead of three degrees twenty minutes east as previously notified in error. PAGE. No. 193.] The British Ambassador to the Secretary of State. BRITISH EMBASSY, Washington, July 1, 1916. SIR: I have the honour, in accordance with instructions received from His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, to transmit to you herewith copy of an Admiralty Notice to Mariners, No. 618 of 1916, relative to the necessity for the exercise of caution in navigating on account of certain mined areas in the North Sea. I am instructed to invite the attention of the United States Gov ernment to the extension of the danger zone as indicated at (B) in the inclosed notice. Former notice.-No. 541 of 1916; hereby canceled. Caution.-Mariners are warned that a system of mine fields has been established by H. M. Government upon a considerable scale. All vessels are strongly advised to obtain a London Trinity House pilot when navigating between Great Yarmouth and the English Channel. It is dangerous for vessels to enter the following areas: (a) The area enclosed between the parallels of latitude 51° 15′ N. and 51° 40′ N., and the meridians of longitude 1° 35' E. and 3° 18′ E. (b) The area enclosed between the parallels of latitude 51° 40′ N. and 52° 00′ N., and the meridians of longitude 1° 55′ E. and 2° 32′ E. Remarks. Although these limits are assigned to the danger areas, it must not be supposed that navigation is necessarily safe in any portion of the southern waters of the North Sea. Note. This Notice is a repetition of Notice No. 541, of 1916, with addition of the danger area specified in paragraph (b). · (Notice No. 618 of 1916.) Authority.-The Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty. (H. 3512/16.) By Command of their Lordships, HYDROGRAPHIC DEPARTMENT, ADMIRALTY, London, 9th June, 1916. J. F. PARRY, Ambassador W. H. Page to the Secretary of State. [Telegram.] AMERICAN EMBASSY, London, January 25, 1917. Following notice dated January twenty-fourth received from Foreign Office with request that it be brought immediately to attention of United States Government. In view of the unrestricted warfare carried on by Germany at sea by means of mines and submarines not only against the Allied Powers but also against neutral shipping and the fact that merchant ships are constantly sunk without regard to the ultimate safety of their crews, His Majesty's Government give notice that on and after the seventh proximo the undermentioned area in the North Sea will be rendered dangerous to all shipping by operations against the enemy and it should therefore be avoided. Area comprising all the waters except Netherland and Danish territorial waters lying to the southward and eastward of a line commencing four miles from the coast of Jutland in latitude 56 degrees north, longitude eight degrees east from Greenwich and passing through the following positions: Latitude fifty-six degrees north, longitude six degrees east, latitude fifty-four degrees forty-five minutes east (?) thence to a position in latitude fifty-three degrees thirty-seven minutes north, longitude five degrees east, seven miles off the coast of the Netherlands. To meet the needs of the Netherland coastal traffic which cannot strictly confine itself to territorial waters owing to navigational difficulties a safe passage will be left to the southward of a line joining the following points: Latitude fifty-three degrees twenty-seven minutes north, longitude five degrees east, latitude fifty-three degrees thirty-one and half minutes north, longitude five degrees thirty minutes east, latitude fifty-three degrees thirty-four minutes north, longitude six degrees east, latitude fifty-three degrees thirty-nine minutes north, longitude six degrees twenty-three minutes east. Ambassador W. H. Page to the Secretary of State. [Telegram.] PAGE. AMERICAN EMBASSY, London, February 15, 1917. Following revised notice dated February thirteenth received from Foreign Office respecting dangerous area in North Sea which is in |