ernment to the extension of the danger zone as indicated at (B) in the inclosed notice.

Former notice.-No. 541 of 1916; hereby canceled.

Caution.-Mariners are warned that a system of mine fields has been established by H. M. Government upon a considerable scale. All vessels are strongly advised to obtain a London Trinity House pilot when navigating between Great Yarmouth and the English Channel. It is dangerous for vessels to enter the following areas: (a) The area enclosed between the parallels of latitude 51° 15' N. and 51° 40′ N., and the meridians of longitude 1° 35' E. and 3° 18′ E.

(b) The area enclosed between the parallels of latitude 51° 40' N. and 52° 00′ N., and the meridians of longitude 1° 55′ E. and 2° 32′ E.

Remarks. Although these limits are assigned to the danger areas, it must not be supposed that navigation is necessarily safe in any portion of the southern waters of the North Sea.

Note. This Notice is a repetition of Notice No. 541, of 1916, with addition of the danger area specified in paragraph (b).

(Notice No. 618 of 1916.)

Authority. The Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty. (H. 3512/16.)

By Command of their Lordships,

HYDROGRAPHIC DEPARTMENT, ADMIRALTY,

London, 9th June, 1916.

J. F. PARRY,
Hydrographer.

Ambassador W. H. Page to the Secretary of State.

[Telegram.]

AMERICAN EMBASSY, London, January 25, 1917.

Following notice dated January twenty-fourth received from Foreign Office with request that it be brought immediately to attention of United States Government.

In view of the unrestricted warfare carried on by Germany at sea by means of mines and submarines not only against the Allied Powers but also against neutral shipping and the fact that merchant ships are constantly sunk without regard to the ultimate safety of their crews, His Majesty's Government give notice that on and after the seventh proximo the undermentioned area in the North Sea will be rendered dangerous to all shipping by operations against the enemy and it should therefore be avoided.

Area comprising all the waters except Netherland and Danish territorial waters lying to the southward and eastward of a line commencing four miles from the coast of Jutland in latitude 56 degrees north, longitude eight degrees east from Greenwich and passing through the following positions: Latitude fifty-six degrees north, longitude six degrees east, latitude fifty-four degrees forty-five minutes east (?) thence to a position in latitude fifty-three degrees thirty-seven minutes north, longitude five degrees east, seven miles off the coast of the Netherlands.

To meet the needs of the Netherland coastal traffic which cannot strictly confine itself to territorial waters owing to navigational difficulties a safe passage will be left to the southward of a line joining the following points: Latitude fifty-three degrees twenty-seven minutes north, longitude five degrees east, latitude fifty-three degrees thirty-one and half minutes north, longitude five degrees thirty minutes east, latitude fifty-three degrees thirty-four minutes north, longitude six degrees east, latitude fifty-three degrees thirty-nine minutes north, longitude six degrees twenty-three minutes east.

Ambassador W. H. Page to the Secretary of State.

[Telegram.]

PAGE.

tended to replace notice quoted my telegram 5544, January twentyfifth, 1917:

North Sea. Caution with regard to dangerous area. Caution. In view of the unrestricted warfare carried on by Germany at sea by means of mines and submarines not only against the Allied Powers but also against neutral shipping and the fact that merchant ships are constantly sunk without regard to the ultimate safety of their crews, His Majesty's Government give notice that on and after the seventh February, 1917, the undermentioned area in the North Sea will be rendered dangerous to all shipping by operations against the enemy and it should therefore be avoided.

Dangerous Area. The area comprising all the waters except Netherland and Danish territorial waters lying to the southward and eastward of a line commencing four miles from the coast of Jutland in latitude fifty-six degrees north longitude eight degrees east and passing through the following positions: Latitude fifty-six degrees north longitude six degrees east and latitude fifty-four degrees fortyfive minutes north longitude four degrees thirty minutes east thence to a position in latitude fifty-three degrees twenty-seven minutes north longitude five degrees east seven miles from the coast of The Netherlands.

To meet the needs of the coastal traffic which can not strictly confine itself to territorial waters owing navigational difficulties, it will be safe to navigate between the coast of Jutland and a line passing through the following positions: Latitude fifty-six degrees north longitude eight degrees east latitude fifty-five degrees forty minutes north longitude eight degrees east latitude fifty-five degrees thirtysix minutes north longitude seven degrees fifteen minutes east latitude fifty-five degrees thirty-two minutes north longitude seven degrees fifteen minutes east latitude fifty-five degrees twenty-two minutes north longitude seven degrees forty-five minutes east latitude fifty-five degrees nineteen minutes north longitude eight degrees four minutes east latitude fifty-five degrees twenty-two minutes north longitude eight degrees nineteen minutes east which is three miles from the coast of Fano Island.

Also a safe passage will be left along the Netherland coast southward of a line joining the following positions: Latitude fiftythree degrees twenty-seven minutes north longitude five degrees east latitude fifty-three degrees thirty-one and half minutes north longitude five degrees thirty minutes east latitude fifty-three degrees thirty-four three deg three m

The Secretary of State to the British Ambassador.

No. 1485.]

EXCELLENCY:

DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, February 19, 1917.

From time to time during the present war, as Your Excellency is aware, the Government of His Britannic Majesty have given notice of certain delimited areas of the high seas, designated as "military areas" or "danger areas," within which merchant shipping of all kinds, fishing craft, and all other vessels, were warned that they would be subject to the gravest dangers from mines laid by His Majesty's Government, and from hostile operations, and that they would enter such waters at their peril. This matter was referred to in the Department's memorandum of August 13, 1914, and has been the subject of subsequent correspondence between the American Ambassador at London and the British Foreign Office.

As the question of appropriating certain portions of the high seas for military operations, to the exclusion of the use of the hostile area as a common highway of commerce, has not become a settled principle of international law assented to by the family of nations, it will be recognized that the Government of the United States must, and hereby does, for the protection of American interests, reserve generally all of its rights in the premises, including the right not only to question the validity of these measures, but to present demands and claims in relation to any American interests which may be unlawfully affected, directly or indirectly, by virtue of the enforcement of these

measures.

Accept, etc.,

ROBERT LANSING.

Ambassador W. H. Page to the Secretary of State.

[Telegram.]

AMERICAN EMBASSY, London, March 23, 1917.

My telegram 5701, February fifteenth.

Foreign Office in note dated March twenty-first state:

As from the first April, 1917, the dangerous area will comprise all the waters except Dinish and Netherlands territorial waters

lying to the southward and eastward of a line commencing three miles from the coast of Jutland on the parallel of latitude fifty-six degrees north and passing through the following positions:

One. Latitude fifty-six degrees north, longitude six degrees east. Two. Latitude fifty-four degrees forty-five minutes north, longitude four degrees thirty minutes east.

Three. Latitude fifty-three degrees twenty-three minutes north, longitude five degrees one minute east.

Four. Latitude fifty-three degrees twenty-five minutes north, longitude five degrees five and half minutes east, and thence to the eastward following the limit of Netherlands territorial waters.

PAGE.

The Minister of Switzerland in charge of German interests in America to the Secretary of State.

[Translation.]

LEGATION OF SWITZERLAND,
Washington, March 23, 1917.1

MR. SECRETARY OF STATE:

The Political Department, Division of Foreign Affairs, instructs me and I have hereby the honor to notify the Government of the United States as follows:

The Imperial German Government to-day gave notice of an extension of the submarine blockade, according to which it will henceforth and without further notice oppose by every means in its power any navigation whatsoever of the waters of the Arctic Ocean lying east and south of the seventy-fifth degree of latitude north, with the exception of the Norwegian territorial waters. Neutral vessels navigating that zone would do so at their risk and peril. Steps, however, have been taken directing that neutral vessels already on their way to ports within the newly prohibited zone or intending to leave those ports should not until the 5th of April be attacked without previous warning. P. RITTER.

Be pleased, etc.,

1 Received.