lubricants by any vessel of war or auxiliary vessel of a belligerent, other than the United States, the Canal Authorities shall obtain a written declaration, duly signed by the officer commanding such vessel, stating the amount of fuel and lubricants already on board. Rule 7. Fuel and lubricants may be taken on board vessels of war or auxiliary vessels of a belligerent, other than the United States, only upon permission of the Canal Authorities, and then only in such amounts as will enable them, with the fuel and lubricants already on board, to reach the nearest accessible port, not an enemy port, at which they can obtain supplies necessary for the continuation of the voyage. Provisions furnished by contractors may be supplied only upon permission of the Canal Authorities, and then only in amount sufficient to bring up their supplies to the peace standard. Rule 8. No belligerent, other than the United States, shall embark or disembark troops, munitions of war, or war-like materials in the Canal, except in case of necessity due to accidental hindrance of the transit. In such cases the Canal Authorities shall be the judge of the necessity, and the transit shall be resumed with all possible dispatch. Rule 9. Vessels of war or auxiliary vessels of a belligerent, other than the United States, shall not remain in the territorial waters of the Canal Zone under the jurisdiction of the United States longer than twenty-four hours at any one time, except in case of distress; and in such case, shall depart as soon as possible. Rule 10. In the exercise of the exclusive right of the United States to provide for the regulation and management of the Canal, and in order to ensure that the Canal shall be kept free and open on terms of entire equality to vessels of commerce and of war, there shall not be, except by special arrangement, at any one time a greater number of vessels of war of any one nation, other than the United States, including those of the allies of such nation, than three in either terminal port and its adjacent terminal waters, or than three in transit through the Canal; nor shall the total number of such vessels, at any one time, exceed six in all the territorial waters of the Canal Zone under the jurisdiction of the United States. Rule 11. The repair facilities and docks belonging to the United States and administered by the Canal Authorities shall not be used by a vessel of war or an auxiliary vessel of a belligerent, other than the United States, except when necessary in case of actual distress, and then only upon the order of the Canal Authorities, and only to the degree necessary to render the vessel seaworthy. Any work authorized shall be done with the least possible delay. Rule 12. The radio installation of any public or private vessel or of any auxiliary vessel of a belligerent, other than the United States, shall be used only in connection with Canal business to the exclusion of all other business while within the waters of the Canal Zone, including the waters of Colon and Panama Harbors. Rule 13. Air craft, public or private, of a belligerent, other than the United States, are forbidden to descend or arise within the jurisdiction of the United States at the Canal Zone, or to pass through the air spaces above the lands and waters within said jurisdiction. Rule 14. For the purpose of these rules the Canal Zone includes the cities of Panama and Colon and the harbors adjacent to the said cities. Rule 15. In the interest of the protection of the Canal while the United States is a belligerent no vessel of war, auxiliary vessel, or private vessel of an enemy of the United States or an ally of such enemy shall be allowed to use the Panama Canal nor the territorial waters of the Canal Zone for any purpose, save with the consent of the Canal Authorities and subject to such rules and regulations as they may prescribe. In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed. DONE at the city of Washington this twenty-third day of May in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and seventeen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the one hundred and forty-first. [SEAL] By the President: ROBERT LANSING, Secretary of State. WOODROW WILSON. EXECUTIVE ORDER ESTABLISHING DEFENSIVE SEA AREAS FOR TERMINAL PORTS OF THE PANAMA CANAL, AND PROVIDING REGULATIONS FOR No. 2692, August 27, 1917 By virtue of the authority vested in me by law, the following-described defensive sea areas for the terminal ports of The Panama Canal are hereby established, to be maintained until further notification, at the places and within the limits prescribed as follows, that is to say: ATLANTIC ENTRANCE: OUTER LIMIT. - From the northern end of Naranjos Cays to a point 2 miles due north of the breakwater entrance, thence tangent to the arc of a circle with 1-mile radius, having the mouth of the Chagres River as a center, thence along the arc of this circle to the beach. INNER LIMIT.-Line joining east end of west breakwater and west end of east breakwater. PACIFIC ENTRANCE: OUTER LIMIT.-Line joining Vanedo Island with north end of Taboguilla Island; thence north 53° east, true, for 5 miles; thence north 39° west to a point with San Jose Rock bearing north 53° west, true, distant 2 nautical miles; thence to Tres Hermanos Beacon; thence to Punta Mala. INNER LIMIT.-Line joining Guinea Point with inner end of causeway. The following orders and regulations for the government of persons and vessels within the limits of said defensive sea areas, which orders and regulations are necessary for the purposes of defense of the Canal Zone, are hereby promulgated: I. In the neighborhood of each defensive sea area the following entrances are designated for incoming and outgoing vessels: ATLANTIC: Designated Entrance for Incoming Vessels: A patrol boat stationed with end of west breakwater bearing south, true, distant 2 nautical miles. Designated Entrance for Outgoing Vessels: The main entrance to the Panama Canal, between the breakwaters. PACIFIC: Designated Entrance for Incoming Vessels: Patrol boat stationed with north end of Taboguilla Island bearing due west, distant 1 nautical mile. Designated Entrance for Outgoing Vessels: Canal prism. II. A vessel desiring to cross a defensive sea area shall proceed to the vicinity of the entrance, flying her national colors, together with International Code number and pilot signal, and there await communication with the Harbor Entrance Patrol. It is expressely prohibited for any vessel to enter the limits of a defensive sea area otherwise than at a designated entrance and after authorization by the Harbor Entrance Patrol. III. Boats and other craft employed in the Harbor Entrance Patrol will be distinguished by the union jack, which will be shown from a position forward. At night they may show a vertical hoist of 3 lightswhite, red, and white, in the order named. IV. On receiving permission from the Harbor Entrance Patrol to enter a defensive sea area, a vessel must comply with all instructions as to pilotage and other matters that she may receive from proper authority, either before or during her passage across the area; it is understood that only upon condition of such compliance is the said permission granted. V. No permission will be granted to other than a public vessel of the United States or a Canal craft to cross a defensive sea area between sunset and sunrise, nor during the prevalence of weather conditions that render navigation difficult or dangerous. A vessel arriving off a defensive sea area after sunset shall anchor or lie-to at a distance of at least a mile outside its limits until the following sunrise; vessels discovered near the limits of the areas at night may be fired upon. VI. No vessel shall be permitted to proceed within the limits of a defensive sea area at a greater speed than six (6) knots per hour. VII. All matters pertaining to fishery and the passage of small crafts within a defensive sea area shall be regulated by the senior officer of the Harbor Entrance Patrol. VIII. These regulations are subject to modification by the senior officer of the Harbor Entrance Patrol when the public interest may require; and such notification as circumstances may permit will be issued regarding modifications thus made. IX. Any master of a vessel or other persons within the vicinity of a defensive sea area who shall violate these regulations, or shall fail to obey an order to stop and heave to, or shall perform any act threatening the efficiency of mine or other defenses or the safety of navigation, or shall take any action inimical to the interests of the United States in its prosecution of war, may be detained therein by force of arms and renders himself liable to prosecution. X. The responsibility of the United States of America for any damage inflicted by force of arms with the object of detaining any person or vessel proceeding in contravention to regulations duly promulgated in accordance with this executive order shall cease from this date. XI. This order shall take effect from and after this date. THE WHITE HOUSE, 27 August, 1917. WOODROW WILSON. NOTE FROM THE RUSSIAN PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT AND THE BRITISH REPLY RESPECTING THE ALLIED WAR AIMS1 No. 1 M. Nabokoff, Russian Charge d'Affaires, to Mr. Balfour (Translation) RUSSIAN EMBASSY, London, SIR, The Russian Provisional Government published on the 27th March a manifesto to Russian citizens, in which it expressed the views of the Government of free Russia on the objects of the present war. The Minister for Foreign Affairs instructs me to communicate to you this document and to add the following observations. Our enemies have lately endeavored to sow discord between the Allies by spreading absurd reports regarding the alleged intention of Russia to conclude a separate peace with the Central Monarchies. The text of the annexed document will provide the best refutation of such inventions. The general principles enunciated therein by the Provisional Government are in entire agreement with the lofty ideals which have been repeatedly and recently proclaimed by eminent statesmen of the Allied countries. These principles have also been lucidly expressed in the words of the President of our new Ally, the great American Republic. The government of the old régime in Russia was certainly not in a position to appreciate and to share these ideas as to the liberating character of the war, the creation of a stable basis for the peaceful coöperation of nations, and the freedom of oppressed peoples. Emancipated Russia can now speak in terms 1 British Parliamentary Paper, Miscellaneous No. 10 (1917). |