It is known to the Imperial Government that Great Britain is on the point of shipping to France large forces of troops and quantities of implements of war. Germany will oppose this shipment with every war means at its command. As peaceful craft may be, from being mistaken for vessels engaged in war operations, exposed to serious danger, the Imperial Government is placed under the necessity of warning of such danger vessels approaching the North and West Coasts of France. Merchant vessels repairing to the North Sea are advised to steer around Scotland. For the Imperial Ambassador: Accept, etc., HANIEL. Consul General Skinner to the Secretary of State. [Telegram.] AMERICAN CONSULATE GENERAL, Mariners warned navigation entirely forbidden to all ships of area in Irish Channel bounded on northwest by line joining latitude 55 degrees 221⁄2 minutes, longitude six degrees 17 minutes and latitude 55 degrees 31 minutes, longitude 6 degrees 02 minutes bounded on southeast by line joining latitude 55 degrees 101⁄2 minutes longitude 5 degrees 242 minutes and latitude 55 02 minutes longitude 5 degrees 401⁄2 minutes bounded southwest by line from first described to fourth described point bounded northeast by line from second described to third described point. All traffic wishing to proceed through North Channel must pass southward of Rathlin Island between sunset and sunrise. No. 615.] Ambassador Gerard to the Secretary of State. SKINNER. AMERICAN EMBASSY, Berlin, March 2, 1915. SIR: With reference to my telegram No. 17191 of the 1st instant, I have the honor to enclose to you herewith a copy in translation of a 'Not printed. Gives substance of inclosure herewith. Note Verbale received from the Imperial Foreign Office, dated February 28, 1915, relative to the extent of the war area proclaimed by the German Admiralty. With reference to its Note Verbale of the 4th instant,1 the Foreign Office has the honor to inform the Embassy of the United States of America, in order to avoid any doubts as to the northward extent of the war area defined in the proclamation of the Chief of the Admiralty Staff of the same day, that the waters surrounding the Orkneys and the Shetlands belong to the war area, but that navigation on both sides of the Faroe Isles is not endangered. The Foreign Office begs the Embassy of the United States of America to be good enough to inform its Government of the above by cable and to notify the Governments of Great Britain, Japan, and Servia accordingly. BERLIN, February 28, 1915. TO THE EMBASSY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. Consul General Skinner to the Secretary of State. [Telegram.] AMERICAN CONSULATE GENERAL, Admiralty renews urgent warning to vessels to take London Trinity house pilot when navigating between Great Yarmouth and English Channel. While danger areas are publicly defined, Admiralty add, "it must not be supposed that navigation is necessarily safe in any part of the southern waters of North Sea." 1 See Special Supplement, 1915, p. 84. SKINNER. Consul General Skinner to the Secretary of State. [Telegram.] AMERICAN CONSULATE GENERAL, Admiralty cancels notice on navigation North Sea dated November thirtieth, nineteen fourteen. Masters are strongly urged to obtain latest notices before sailing from British ports. Lights may be extinguished and other changes made without previous warning. In addition to mine fields in Firth of Forth, Moray Firth and Scapa Flow following are principal mined areas as far as known: (A) off Tyne; (B) off Flamborough Head; (C) off Southwold, southern limit fiftyone degrees fifty-four minutes N. D. (?); British mine field between latitude fifty-one degrees fifteen minutes N.; and latitude fifty-one degrees forty minutes N.; and between longitude one degree thirtyfour minutes E., and longitude three degrees E. All vessels entering North Sea from English Channel must pass between two light vessels off Folkestone, proceed to Downs, keeping inshore imaginary line joining southernmost of the two light vessels to the South Goodwin light vessel; further instructions in Downs. Vessels proceeding up or down east coast should keep within three miles of coast when consistent with safe navigation. Vessels from east coast ports to Channel and French ports should proceed to Downs, keeping within three miles of coast, and follow Admiralty notice to mariners 239; at Downs further instructions will be obtained. Vessels from east coast ports to Dutch ports should keep within three miles of coast, leaving English coast between the parallels fifty-one degrees forty minutes north, and fiftyone degrees fifty-four minutes north, proceeding between these parallels as far as longitude three degrees east, shaping course thence to destination; this route passes between British and German mine fields and vessels proceed at their own risk. Vessels from east coast to Scandinavian ports should keep within three miles of coast, and proceed according to Admiralty notice 239, as far as Farne Island, then steer for Lindesnaes and thence to destination, keeping in territorial waters. Route from St. Abbs Head to Stavanger may be used as alternative. British and allied vessels wishing to use northabout route should apply to Customs, and neutral vessels must apply for permission through their foreign representatives, and failing such permission proceed southabout. Sailing vessels from Atlantic to Scandinavian ports pass westward of Ireland and St. Kilda, thence Faroe Islands to destination, passing northward by fifty miles of Shetland Islands. SKINNER. Consul General Skinner to the Secretary of State. AMERICAN CONSULATE GENERAL, London, May 19, 1915. SIR: Referring to my telegram of May 17, setting forth briefly the terms of a notice on navigation in the North Sea and English Channel received from the Trade Division of the Admiralty on that date, I have the honor to inclose herewith, in duplicate, a full copy of the circular, together with the Admiralty Notice to Mariners referred to in the said circular. I have, etc., ROBERT P. SKINNER. [Inclosure.] NAVIGATION IN THE NORTH SEA AND BRITISH HOME WATERS. The previous Notice on Navigation in the North Sea and English Channel (dated 30th November, 1914) is canceled. A.- -GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS. 1. Local Naval or Military Authorities may, at any time when they consider it necessary, close a port during certain hours without previous warning. 2. Before leaving ports in the United Kingdom Masters of Vessels should be careful to obtain the latest Admiralty Notices to Mariners. Attention is called to the Notice on the inside cover of all Admiralty Sailing Directions and their Supplements, and to the following Admiralty Notices to Mariners and any subsequent ones that may be issued: No. 1738 of 13th November, 1914. River Medway. No. 1812 of 10th December, 1914. Bristol Channel. No. 45 of 15th January, 1915. Yarmouth Roads. No. 137 of 22nd February, 1915. Irish Channel. North Channel. No. 165 of 8th March, 1915. River Humber Pilotage. No. 228 of 26th March, 1915. Dover Strait. Light Vessels established. No. 239 of 27th March, 1915. lish Channel. No. 258 of 3rd April, 1915. No. 274 of 7th April, 1915. Ports. No. 391 of 5th May, 1915. Flow. North Sea, River Thames, and Eng Portland Harbour. Caution when approaching British Firth of Forth, Moray Firth, Scapa No. 408 of 8th May, 1915. River Tyne Boom Defence. Entrance Signals and Traffic Regulations. 3. Care must be taken at all times to ensure Masters being in possession of the latest Notices to Mariners. 4. Any lights may be extinguished and other aids to navigation removed or altered at any time without previous warning. (Admiralty Notice to Mariners, No. 1627 of 9th October, 1914.) B.-MINES. 5. So far as is known at present there are, in addition to the mine fields mentioned in Admiralty Notice to Mariners, No. 391 of 5th May, 1915, the following principal mined areas: (a) Off the Tyne. (b) Off Flamborough Head. (c) Off Southwold (Southern limit 50° 54′ N.). (d) British mine field between Lat. 51° 15′ N. and Lat. 51° 40' N., and between Long. 1° 35' E. and Long. 3° E. C.-PASSAGES.-GENERAL. 6. All vessels entering the North Sea from the English Channel must pass between the two Light vessels off Folkestone (see Admiralty Notice to Mariners, No. 228 of 1915), and proceed to the Downs, keeping inshore of an imaginary line joining the Southernmost of the two Light vessels to the South Goodwin Light vessel. Further instructions as to routes can be obtained in the Downs. 7. Vessels proceeding up or down the East Coast should keep within 3 miles of the coast when consistent with safe navigation. D.-PARTICULAR PASSAGES. (NOTE. In each case the return voyage should be made on the same route.) 8. East Coast Ports to Channel and French Ports.-Proceed to the Downs following the directions in paragraph 7 and Admiralty Notice to Mariners, No. 239 of 1915. At the Downs further instructions will be obtained. |