The Washington times., 1916-10-18
Awaits Full Facts Before Rails
: ing Issue With America,
Grey Tells Lords.
HINTS U. S. AIDED RAIDER
Foreign Secretary Reviews
Complaints About British
Cruiser Patrol.

LONDON. Oct. 1s.--Lord Charles
Beresford. in the House OF Lords yes
terday. qestioned the consistency OF the
Government Of the United States in OBJ
tecting earlier In the war to British
cruisers patrolling the American coast
and yet allowing the German commerce
raider U-53 to enter and leave Newport
and operate extensively only short
( distance away.a
Earl Grey was asked whether it was
true that the commander OF the U.s.
requested United States vessels Of war
to clear out OF the way in order to
facilitate the sinking Of defenseless
merchantships.
viscount Grey. the secretary Of state
for foreign affairs. said in reply to Lord
Beresfords question:
The best thing I can do is to read
n summary of what actually passed
between the United States Government
and his msjesty's government on this
subject since the war began and what
We understand the view of the United
,btateg Government to be-"
Intercepted Warship's Wireless.
viscount Grey then read the following
statement:
ION the 18th of September, 1914
the British ambassador at Wash
ington telegraphed that the United
States authorities had intercepted
9. suffolk to New York. asking for
supplies and newspapers. and he In
formed us that the United states
Government considered that this
states states e esrritory s as a'f base for sup,
plies and Information ms to shipping
movements through the newspapers.
The proceeding was, so far as /
am aware. not repeated, and no Of
ficial protest was received. so far
as have been able to discover In
ION the 5th Of October. 1914. we
s naa pr tSe q British
ships near New York harbor. We
had unofficial communication later
on deprecating the same and saying
foreign vessels in the vicinity OF the
great ports OF the United States had
forced that Government. owing to
the public feeling aroused. to take
: practice continued It might be con-
strued into an act of unfriendliness
requiring some action on the part
of the United States Government.
"Shadowing" Complained OF.
There was later on an official
complaint. on the 10th of December.
!. MA founded on the shadowing by a
British warship for some distance
along the American coast. though
from a position admittedly beyond
the territorial limits. OF a vessel
named the Vinland, and this COM
plant referred to the seriousness
with which the United States Gov
eminent regarded the lowering Of
belligerent warships about Ameri-
can ports and coasts.
THE official complaint stated:
That the British government was
aware that the United States Gov
practice of belligerent cruisers pa
trolling the American coast In close
proximity to the territorial waters
OF the United States. and making
the neighboring waters a station for
their observations. as inconsistent
with the treatment to be expected
from the naval ,,T,I vessels OF friendly Say
maintained that the consequent
menace of such proceeding to the
freedom of American commerce
was vexatious and uncourteous to
the United States.
Cites Ruling of 1870.
we assume that the view Of the
United States Government is still
that contained in their dispatch of
the 9Th Of October. 1870. which fol-
Although vessels Of either bell
ngerents may not actually take shell
ter within the Jurisdiction Of the
United States and proceed THENCE .S;e
unfriendly, act the lowering Of such
vessels OF the coast with inteint to
intercept vessels of trade Of the
enemy