File No. 763.72112/475 The Ambassador in Germany (Gerard) to the Secretary of State No. 280] AMERICAN EMBASSY, Berlin, November 23, 1914. [Received December 14.] SIR: I have the honor to transmit to you herewith translations of two notes received from the Imperial Foreign Office conveying notification of additions to the original lists of articles regarded as contraband by the German Government, which, as reported in my telegram of August 10, 1 p. m., [a. m.]1 corresponded in all respects with Articles 22 and 24 of the Declaration of London. I have [etc.] JAMES W. GERARD [Enclosure 1-Translation 2] Foreign Office, No. IIIa.17064/81116 NOTE VERBALE In supplement to its note verbale of August 6, 1914, IIIa.9222, the Foreign Office has the honor to inform the Embassy of the United States of America that during the present hostilities the following materials will be considered as conditional contraband by Germany in addition to the articles and materials designated under No. 11, 1-14: 15. Copper (unworked), and 16. Lead in blocks, plates or tubes. The Foreign Office begs that the Embassy of the United States of America will kindly inform its Government of the above as soon as possible. BERLIN, October 22, 1914. [Enclosure 2-Translation ®] Foreign Office, No. 111a.19785/92997 NOTE VERBALE In supplement to its notes verbales of August 6, 1914, and October 22, 1914, IIIa.9222 and 17064, the Foreign Office has the honor to inform the Embassy of the United States of America that during the present hostilities the following will be considered by Germany as conditional contraband in addition to the articles and materials designated under 11, 1-16: 17. Woods of all kinds, rough or worked (in particular hewn, sawed, planed, grooved), charcoal cylinder tar. 18. Sulphur, crude or refined, sulphuric acid. The Foreign Office begs that the Embassy will kindly notify its Government of the above as soon as possible. BERLIN, November 23, 1914. 1Ante, p. 216. 'The Department was first informed by the German Embassy on October 23 that "copper and lead” had been declared contraband (File No. 763.72112/210). These two additions were telegraphed by the Ambassador on November 23 (received November 24, File No. 763.72112/410). File No. 763.72112/478 The Ambassador in Austria-Hungary (Penfield) to the Secretary No. 239] of State AMERICAN EMBASSY, Vienna, November 20, 1914. [Received December 15.] SIR: Upon the request of the Austro-Hungarian Foreign Office, November 17, 1914, I have the honor to transmit herewith enclosed a memorandum, with translation, concerning the attitude assumed by Great Britain and France in regard to the Declaration of London relative to the laws of maritime warfare. I have [etc.] [Enclosure Translation] FREDERIC C. PENFIELD Memorandum of the Austro-Hungarian Foreign Office concerning the attitude assumed by Great Britain and France in regard to the Declaration of London relative to the laws of maritime warfare By an order in council of August 20, 1914, the British Government declared itself willing to observe, during the present war, the provisions of the Declaration of London of February 26, 1909, relative to the laws of naval warfare, at the same time introducing certain additions and modifications, and expressed the intention of giving to these provisions an interpretation in conformity with the spirit prevailing in the general report which was submitted to the naval conference and unanimously approved by it. According to the terms of a decree of the President of the French Republic published in the Journal officiel of August 26, 1914, France agreed with the point of view adopted by Great Britain in regard to the observation of the Declaration of London. In the course of the war Great Britain, and France as well, have made still other modifications in the provisions of the said declaration. As has already been stated in detail in the memorandum of the Imperial German Government under date of October 10, 1914, which memorandum has been communicated to the interested neutral Governments and which deals with the attitude assumed by England and France toward the Declaration of London, the additions and modifications effected by these two powers in the said declaration are of such a nature as to annul its provisions in essential respects, and thereby to infringe, at the same time, upon the international law actually in force; the representatives of the most important maritime powers convened at the naval conference having, by common accord, expressly stated that the rules contained in the Declaration of London correspond in substance to the generally recognized principles of international law. Agreeing entirely with the views expressed in the German memorandum, the Imperial and Royal Government has on its part to state that, contrary to the provisions of the Declaration of London and to the explanations contained in the said general report, and even in contradiction to the regulations of their respective Governments, the British and French naval forces have made prisoners of Austro-Hungarian reservists found on board of neutral merchant ships. In view of the attitude of the British and French Governments, as it has been described in the foregoing, the Imperial and Royal Government feels itself called upon to confine itself for the time being to bringing to the attention of the interested neutral powers the fact that the assurances given by this Government, at the beginning of the war, declaring that Austria-Hungary will conform to the provisions of the Declaration of London, were expressly qualified by the condition of reciprocity. TA File No. 763.72112/483 The Ambassador in Germany (Gerard) to the Secretary of State [Telegram] AMERICAN EMBASSY, Berlin, December 15, 1914. [Received December 16, 5.05 p. m.] 1099. By proclamation dated 14th instant German Government has added aluminum and nickel to list of conditional contraband as numbers 19 and 20, respectively. GERARD File No. 763.72112/499 The Ambassador in Turkey (Morgenthau) to the Secretary of State [Telegram] AMERICAN EMBASSY, Constantinople, undated. [Received December 22, 1914, 8 a. m.] Ottoman Government contraband declaration included, in addition to things mentioned in Articles 22 and 24, Declaration of London, following as absolute contraband: Pontoons, bridge materials, all machine projectiles, lanips, all electric apparatus, military kitchens, tents and accessories, cranes, floating docks, motor boats, lead, sheet iron, platinum, iron bars, copper plates, screws, iron, zinc, tin plates and rods, wood, coal, and anything mentioned in third, fifth, eighth, and tenth sections, Article 24, of Declaration of London. As conditional contraband: Wines, cereals, military and naval books, pictures, charts, Décauville railway material, automobiles, bicycles, motor cycles, apparatus and material for cables. AMERICAN AMBASSADOR File No. 763.72112/522 The Ambassador in Turkey (Morgenthau) to the Secretary of State 206. My 166, sixteenth.1 [Telegram] AMERICAN EMBASSY, Constantinople, December 24, 1914. [Received December 26, 8 a. m.] Ottoman Government communicates fol lowing additional list of conditional contraband articles: Crude copper; lead, pig, plates and pipes; glycerine; ferrochrome; hematite; magnetic iron ore; rubber; leather; and raw or partially tanned skins, not including dressed skins. AMERICAN AMBASSADOR 'Not printed. File No. 763.72112/521 The Consul General at London (Skinner) to the Secretary of State [Telegram] AMERICAN CONSULATE GENERAL, London, undated. [Received December 24, 1914, 11.45 a. m.] Department's 18th. Report transmitted 22d per Arabic. For contraband therein submitted substitute radically amended list promulgated December 23 as follows: ABSOLUTE CONTRABAND 1. Arms of all kinds, including arms for sporting purposes, and their distinctive component parts. 2. Projectiles, charges, and cartridges of all kinds and their distinctive component parts. 3. Powder and explosives specially prepared for use in war. 4. Ingredients of explosives, viz., nitric acid, sulphuric acid, glycerine, acetone, calcium acetate and all other metallic acetates, sulphur, potassium nitrate, the fractions of the distillation products of coal tar between benzol and cresol inclusive, aniline, methylaniline, dimethylaniline, ammonium perchlorate, sodium perchlorate, sodium chlorate, barium chlorate, ammonium nitrate, cyanamide, potassium chlorate, calcium nitrate, mercury. 5. Resinous products, camphor, and turpentine (oil and spirit). 6. Gun mountings, limber boxes, limbers, military waggons, field forges, and their distinctive component parts. 7. Range finders and their distinctive component parts. 8. Clothing and equipment of a distinctively military characte". 9. Saddle, draught, and pack animals suitable for use in war. 10. All kinds of harness of a distinctively military character. 11. Articles of camp equipment and their distinctive component parts. 12. Armour plates. 13. Ferro alloys, including ferrotungsten, ferromolybdenum, ferromanganese, ferrovanadium, ferrochrome. 14. The following metals: Tungsten, molybdenum, vanadium, nickel, selenium, cobalt, hæmatite, pig iron, manganese. 15. The following ores: Wolframite, scheelite, molybdenite, manganese ore, nickel ore, chrome ore, hæmatite iron ore, zinc ore, lead ore, bauxite. 16. Aluminium, alumina, and salts aluminium. 17. Antimony, together with the sulphides and oxides of antimony. 18. Copper, unwrought and part wrought, and copper wire. 19. Lead, pig, sheet, or pipe. 20. Barbed wire, and implements for fixing and cutting the same. 21. Warships, including boats and their distinctive component parts of such a nature that they can only be used on a vessel of war. 22. Submarine sound signalling apparatus. 23. Aeroplanes, airships, balloons, and aircraft of all kinds, and their component parts, together with accessories and articles recognisable as intended for use in connection with balloons and aircraft. 24. Motor vehicles of all kinds and their component parts. 25. Tyres for motor vehicles and for cycles, together with articles or materials especially adapted for use in the manufacture or repair of tyres. 26. Rubber (including raw, waste, and reclaimed rubber) and goods made wholly of rubber. 27. Iron pyrites. 28. Mineral oils and motor spirit, except lubricating oils. 29. Implements and apparatus designed exclusively for the manufacture of munitions of war, for the manufacture or repair of arms, or war material for use on land and sea. 1 Not printed. 1. Foodstuffs. CONDITIONAL CONTRABAND 2. Forage and feeding stuffs for animals. 3. Clothing, fabrics for clothing, and boots and shoes suitable for use in war. 4. Gold and silver in coin or bullion; paper money. 5. Vehicles of all kinds, other than motor vehicles, available for use in war, and their component parts. 6. Vessels, craft, and boats of all kinds; floating docks, parts of docks, and their component parts. 7. Railway materials, both fixed and rolling stock, and materials for telegraphs, wireless telegraphs, and telephones. 8. Fuel, other than mineral oils. Lubricants. 9. Powder and explosives not specially prepared for use in war. 10. Horseshoes and shoeing materials. 11. Harness and saddlery. 12. Hides of all kinds, dry or wet; pigskins, raw or dressed; leather, undressed or dressed, suitable for saddlery, harness, or military boots. 13. Field glasses, telescopes, chronometers, and all kinds of nautical instruments. Another proclamation prohibits export to all destinations explosives of all kinds, valonia grindery [hides and leather?] used in making boots and shoes. Export prohibited except to British possessions of vessels, craft, and boats, floating docks, parts of docks, and component parts. SKINNER File No. 763.72112/579 The Ambassador in France (Sharp) to the Secretary of State [Telegram] AMERICAN EMBASSY, 428. Your 13th [30th].1 British Embassy informs me that British and French lists of contraband now correspond absolutely.2 SHARP CORRESPONDENCE WITH AMERICAN CITIZENS, FIRMS, AND ORGANIZATIONS WHOSE INTERESTS WERE AFFECTED BY THE PROCLAMATIONS AND ORDERS OF BELLIGERENT GOVERNMENTS REGARDING CONTRABAND AND TRADE WITH ENEMY COUNTRIES-ACTION ON PARTICULAR COMMODITIES [From the beginning of the war in Europe, many communications reached the Department of State from private citizens and their political representatives: inquiries as to their rights and duties; requests for action in behalf of their interests, both general and particular; protests against measures of the belligerent governments prejudicial to American business; claims for redress of injuries. The volume of this correspondence is so immense that only limited selections from it can be printed. In each case where such 1 Not printed. 2 The French list published January 3, corresponding to the British list of December 23, was forwarded by the Consul General in Paris, January 4 (File No. 763.72112/570). |