The Secretary of State to the Swedish Minister (Ekengren)
The Secretary of State has received the undated memorandum of the Minister of Sweden in which, by order of his Government, he brings to the notice of the Secretary of State the fact that in consequence of the British Admiralty’s proclamation with regard to navigation on the North Sea, the Government of Sweden has issued a protest in which the Swedish Government refuses to recognize any right of a belligerent power to restrict the navigation of a neutral country as far as its traffic on the high seas is concerned, the Swedish Government reserving for itself full liberty of action with regard to the British proclamation and to its consequences to the commerce, navigation, and fisheries of Sweden.
The Swedish Minister also states that as a result of negotiations held in Stockholm on the initiative of the Swedish Government, that Government as well as the Governments of Denmark and Norway, has addressed to the Governments of England, Russia, France, and Germany notes containing a protest drawn up in general terms and directed against certain measures which are inconsistent with the principles of international law and which have been resorted to by certain of the belligerent powers, with special reference to the danger caused by the mining of common commercial routes on the high seas and the inconvenience to neutral vessels compelled to follow certain specially defined routes and to call at certain ports.
In answer to the request of the Swedish Minister, that the Government of the United States announce its position with regard to these questions, the Secretary of State has the honor to inform him [Page 474] that the Government of the United States awaits the receipt of the text of the note of protest, whereupon it will not fail to give the matter its most earnest attention.