File No. 763.72111Ei9/50½
The British Ambassador (Spring Rice) to the Secretary of State
[Received July 23.]
Sir: In my note No. 280 of to-day’s date,1 I had the honour to inform you of the arrest of Wilhelm Halbrock, an officer of the Prinz Eitel Friedrich, who would appear to have escaped from this country.
I am further informed by my Government that Herr Max Kjier, late second officer of the Kronprinz Wilhelm , was recently arrested and removed from the S. S. Tomaso di Savoia at Gibraltar. Herr Kjier, who admitted his identity, was in possession of a Danish passport issued at Buenos Aires, and it is presumed hoped to reach Germany via Italy, which country had not, at the time of his embarkation, entered the war.
I am desired by His Majesty’s Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, in bringing the arrest of Herr Kjier to your notice, to point out that this case, taken in connection with that of Herr Halbrock, seems to indicate the advisability of further precautions to prevent the escape of the officers and men of the Prinz Eitel Friedrich and the Kronprinz Wilhelm , and I venture therefore to express the hope that, if the facts as stated are confirmed by any enquiries which may be made by the United States authorities adequate measures will be taken in future to obviate the possibility of further escapes from these interned vessels.
I have [etc.]
- Not printed.↩