The Secretary of State to the Minister in Costa Rica (Hale)
Your February 7, 8 p. m. While Department admits principle announced September 19, 1914,3 that merchant ships may arm for defensive purposes, yet in practice Department has insisted that armed merchant vessels of belligerent countries arriving in American ports should, before departure, either land their guns or obtain from their Government a formal assurance that the guns will be used only for defensive purposes and will not be used to attack a [Page 753] submarine while being warned. Department is taking this attitude pending decision as to whether it should, in view of the superiority of an armed merchant vessel over a submarine in point of offense, regard armed merchant vessels as naval auxiliaries and accord them the same treatment as warships when they enter American ports.