The Secretary of State to the Italian Ambassador (Macchi di Cellere)
Washington, December 12, 1914.
My dear Mr. Ambassador: Referring to your oral communication of yesterday at the Department and to Department’s note of the 28th ultimo relative to an Italian Royal decree of August 6, 1914, extending the territorial waters of Italy to six nautical miles from shore, I desire to inform you that upon further consideration of this subject, while the Department is obliged to adhere to the opinions expressed in its note of the 28th ultimo, it has taken steps to furnish the Department of the Navy with a copy of the diplomatic correspondence on this matter, with the request that orders be issued to the [Page 667] public ships of the United States notifying them of the Royal decree of August 6 last mentioned above, and giving such further instructions as may be appropriate with a view to avoid so far as is possible any incident which may raise a question between the Governments of Italy and the United States as to the extent of the territorial waters of the former country.
I am [etc.]