File No. 195.2/274
The French Ambassador (Jusserand) to the Secretary of State
Washington, October 22, 1914.
[Translation]
Mr. Secretary of State: My Government was recently informed that two German tank steamers, the Standard and the Chatham, had been lately placed under the American flag and given the names of Montano and Caloria. These vessels hailing from the port of Hamburg are said to belong to the Deutsche-Amerikanische Petroleum Gesellschaft.
In compliance with instructions received, I have the honor to remind your excellency that by my note of the third of last month in particular I made known to you the intention of the Government of the Republic to observe in cases of that class the provisions of the Declaration of London of February 26, 1909, which in Article 56 stipulate that under certain conditions which seem to inhere in the present case, a flag transfer effected by an enemy vessel during a war is to be held of no effect. The same rule is, furthermore, included, as noted in the above-mentioned communication, among the directions contained in the “Instructions for the enforcement of international law in case of war” published by the Ministry of Marine in 1912.
Be pleased [etc.]