Papers relating to maritime danger zones

[Skipman]

Papers relating to maritime danger zones and the placing by belligerents of mines in the high seas

File No. 763.72/257.

Ambassador Gerard to the Secretary of State.

[Telegram—Paraphrase)

American Embassy,

Berlin, August 7, 1914'

Mr. Gerard reports that he is informed by the German

Foreign Office that German ports are strewn with mines

and it is requested that timely warning be given shippers

against navigating in ports which foreign forces might

use as bases.

File No. 763.72/566.

Memorandum from the British Embassy.

His Majesty's Charge d'Affaires presents his compliments

to the Secretary of State and has the honour to

communicate to him the following telegram which he

received last night from the Foreign Office:

"The Germans are scattering contact mines indiscriminately

about the North Sea in the open sea without

regard to the consequences to merchantmen. Two days

ago four large merchant ships were observed to pass

within a mile of the minefield which sank H. M. S.

Amphion. The waters of the North Sea must therefore

be regarded as perilous in the last degree to merchant

shipping of all nations. In view of the methods adopted

by Germany the British Admiralty must hold themselves

fully at liberty to adopt similar measures in self defence

which must inevitably increase the dangers to navigation

in the North Sea. But, before doing so, they think it

right to issue this warning in order that merchant ships

under neutral flags trading with North Sea ports should

be turned back before entering the area of such exceptional

danger.

British Embassy,

Washington, August 11, 1914.

File No. 763.72/1141.

Ambassador W. H. Page to the Secretary of State.

[Telegram.]

American Embassy,

London, October 28, 1914-

Referring to my 926/ October twenty-seventh. A

German mine field has been discovered off tbe 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.

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.

File No. 763.72/1161.

Ambassador W. E. Page to the Secretary of State.

Mike