British transport steamers in the Dardanelles operations. In these circumstances he saw nothing objectionable in torpedoing the Marina without warning. The assumption of the commander that he was concerned with an enemy transport seems correct since the Marina, as is known to the German Government from reliable sources, was actually used as a horse transport steamer in the service of the British Government. Should this assumption prove however to be a wrong one according to the investigations of the American Government, the action of the commander would be attributable to a regrettable mistake and not have been in accordance with his instructions; in this event the German Government would not hesitate to draw the appropriate consequences. The American Government is therefore requested further to communicate the result of its official investigations in this direction. The undersigned requests the Chargé d'Affaires to bring the above to the knowledge of the American Government and avails himself et cetera, ZIMMERMANN. (Signed) The Secretary of State to Ambassador W. H. Page. No. 4116.] [Telegram-Paraphrase.] GREW. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, December 2, 1916. Mr. Page is informed that the German Government's report on the sinking of the vessel Marina, received by the Department, states that the Marina displayed no flag, was painted gray and had on her deck a superstructure of wood for the transportation of horses similar to those in use in the operations in the Dardanelles and that the Marina was in actual use as a horse-transport vessel in the British Government's service. Mr. Page is directed to ascertain definitely and officially as to whether the Marina was, at the time of her sinking, in any way in the British Government's service and if so, for how long a period had she been in the British Government's service, and if not, when she ceased to be in the service of the British Government. Was it customary for the Marina to be in the British Government's service while carrying horses from the United States to Europe and privately used on the return voyage? Was the Marina voyaging to the United States to transport another load of horses to Europe? Ambassador W. H. Page to the Secretary of State. [Telegram.] No. 5283.] Your 4116, December 2, 2 p. m. AMERICAN EMBASSY, London, December 6, 1916. In reply to a note based on your telegram mentioned above Lord Grey replies as follows: With reference to the note which Your Excellency was good enough to address to me on the fourth instant making certain inquiries as to the employment of the steamship Marina I have the honor to state that this vessel was neither requisitioned nor chartered by His Majesty's Government. She was on her owners service running on her ordinary berth and entirely under the orders and control of the owners. On her voyages from America the Marina carried for His Majesty's Government at a fixed rate per head a number of animals. These animals were carried entirely at the shipowner's risk and responsibility the only difference between them and any other cargo carried being the mere fact that His Majesty's Government were the consignees. I hope to be able at a later date to reply to the inquiries contained in Your Excellency's note so far as they are not covered by the above information. PAGE. No. 3667.] The Secretary of State to Chargé Grew. [Telegram-Paraphrase.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, December 12, 1916. Mr. Lansing states that the United States Government has made inquiry of the Government of Great Britain concerning the status of the vessel Marina and Lord Grey states in reply as to whether the Marina was in the British Government's service at the time of her sinking that the Marina was neither chartered nor requisitioned by the Government of Great Britain. She was on the service of her owners, running on her ordinary berth, and entirely under her owners' orders and control. The Marina, on her voyages from America, carried for the Government of Great Britain a number of animals at a fixed rate per head. These animals were carried entirely at the risk and responsibility of the shipowners, the only difference between these animals and any other cargo carried being the fact that they were consigned to the British Government. Mr. Grew is directed to bring the foregoing to the immediate attention of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and he is informed that further inquiries have been made as to whether the Marina was ever in the service of the British Government and, if so, when and whether it was customary for the Marina in the past to be in the British Government's services on voyages from the United States and in her owners' service on returning voyages. When replies to these inquiries are received they will be transmitted to Mr. Grew. Ambassador W. H. Page to the Secretary of State. No. 5436.] AMERICAN EMBASSY, London, December 18, 1916. SIR: Referring to your telegram No. 4162 of December 11, 5 p. m., with further reference to the sinking of the British steamship Marina, I have the honor to transmit herewith inclosed copies of a note based thereon, which I addressed to Lord Grey on December 12th1, as well as copies of Mr. Balfour's reply, dated December 16th, on which my telegram No. 5337 of December 18th was based. I have, etc., WALTER HINES PAGE. [Inclosure.] FOREIGN OFFICE, December 16, 1916. The Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs presents his compliments to the United States Ambassador and, with reference to His Excellency's notes of the 4th and 12th instant (Nos. 1486 and 1590), relative to the steamship Marina, has the honor to inform him that His Majesty's Government were in no way interested in the voyage on which the vessel was engaged at the time she was attacked. She would, * Not printed. however, on her return journey have brought a deck load of horses for His Majesty's Government, but these would have formed only a small part of her homeward cargo. The Marina was utilized for this purpose on each voyage from the United States to the United Kingdom from October, 1914, to May, 1915, and again from June, 1916, to the last voyage from the United States before she was sunk. She was not employed by His Majesty's Government in any other way at any time. Mr. Balfour begs leave to add that the vessel was at no time "in the service of His Majesty's Government" in any sense in which she was not equally in the service of any other regular shippers of the cargoes she carried. The precise method of employment was explained to Dr. Page in Viscount Grey's note of the 6th instant. No. 3692.] The Secretary of State to Chargé Grew. [Telegram-Paraphrase.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, December 20, 1916. Mr. Grew is informed that in further response to the inquiries of the United States Government concerning the status of the vessel Marina the British Minister for Foreign Affairs states that the British Government were in no way interested in the voyage of the Marina at the time she was attacked. However, the Marina on her return voyage would have brought a deck load of horses for the British Government, but these would have made but a small part of her cargo. On each voyage from the United States to Great Britain from October, 1916, to the last voyage from the United States before her sinking the Marina was utilized for this purpose. The British Government did not employ her at any time in any other manner. In addition it is stated that the Marina was at no time in the British Government's service in any sense in which the vessel was not in the service of any other regular shippers of cargoes carried by her. An explanation of the precise method of employment is contained in Viscount Grey's note of December sixth to Ambassador Page, of which you were informed in Department's telegram of December twelfth. Mr. Grew is directed to bring the foregoing to the attention of the German Government immediately. CASE OF THE "DELTO." Consul General Hurst to the Secretary of State. [Telegram-Extract.] AMERICAN CONSULATE GENERAL, Barcelona, November 7, 1916. Norwegian steamer Delto bound from Naples to Barry Dock, Wales, in ballast sunk October thirty-first, by cannon shot from German submarine, about fifty-five miles off Cape Palos, Spain. Steamer carried fireman Frank Jenkins, an American negro of East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, whose uncle is William Clement, Seymourville, Louisiana. Jenkins brought Barcelona by Norwegian Consular officials and has made affidavit of sinking. HURST. Ambassador Gerard to the Secretary of State. [Telegram.] No. 4791.] AMERICAN EMBASSY, Berlin, December 27, 1916. The following note relative to the sinking of the Norwegian ship Delto has just been received: FOREIGN OFFICE, Berlin, December 25, 1916. The undersigned has the honor to inform His Excellency, Mr. Gerard, Ambassador of the United States of America, in reply to the note of Mr. J. C. Grew, dated the twenty-first ultimo, Foreign Office number fourteen forty-two, relative to the sinking of the Norwegian ship Delto by a German submarine as follows: According to the investigations of the German Naval authorities the Norwegian ship Delto not Delta, which was chartered by the Italian Government to carry coal, was stopped on October thirteenth last about forty nautical miles southeast of Cape Palos and sunk by artillery fire on account of unneutral service to the enemy (?), also Article forty-six, paragraph one, number three of the Declaration of London, after the German commander had taken the ship's papers on board and caused the crew to enter the lifeboats. The crew was given half an hour to leave the ship; the weather was good and very clear, |