Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, 1914, Supplement, The World War

File No. 763.72111/681

The British Embassy to the Secretary of State

British Embassy,
Washington, November 11, 1914.

From all the information which reaches this Embassy it appears that a number of the German liners now in American ports are quite ready for sea and are prepared to sail at a moment’s notice. There is also strong reason for the belief that a plan has been formed and may be put into execution in a short time by which these fast ships will participate in belligerent operations in conjunction with the German cruisers now in the Pacific against the commerce and naval forces of the Allies in the Atlantic and elsewhere. The consequences of such a contingency would be most serious. If after the many warnings which have been addressed to the United States Government the German liners are eventually found to engage in belligerent action, the British Government would be bound to hold that of the United States responsible for the possible serious losses which might ensue to the shipping and trade of Great Britain.