Appeal to American People.

89 holds that no naturalized citizen of this country can rightfully be held to account for military liability to his native land accruing subsequent to emigration therefrom, but this principle may be contested by countries with which the United States has not entered into treaties of naturalization. The latter countries may hold that naturalization of their citizens or subjects as citizens of other countries has no effect upon their original military obligation, or may deny the right of their citizens or subjects to become naturalized as citizens of other countries, in the absence of express consent or without the fulfillment of military obligations. More specific information as to the Department's understanding of the laws of these countries concerning nationality and military obligations may be found in the Department's circulars mentioned above.

It is important to observe that an alien who declares his intention to become a citizen of the United States does not, at the time of making such declaration, renounce allegiance to his original sovereign, but merely declares that he intends to do so. Such person does not, by his declaration of intention, acquire the status of a citizen of the United States.

W. J. BRYAN.

Appeal to the American people by President Wilson, August 18, 1914.

MY FELLOW COUNTRYMEN:

I suppose that every thoughtful man in America has asked himself, during the last troubled weeks, what influence the European war may exert upon the United States, and I take the liberty of addressing a few words to you in order to point out that it is entirely within our own choice what its effects upon us will be and to urge very earnestly upon you the sort of speech and conduct which will best safeguard the Nation against distress and disaster.

The effect of the war upon the United States will depend upon what American citizens say and do. Every man who really loves America will act and speak in the true spirit of neutrality, which is the spirit of impartiality and fairness and friendliness to all concerned. The spirit of the Nation in this critical matter will be determined largely by what individuals and society and those gathered in public meetings do and say, upon what newspapers and magazines contain, upon what ministers utter in their pulpits, and men proclaim as their opinions on the street.

The people of the United States are drawn from many nations, and chiefly from the nations now at war. It is natural and inevitable that there should be the utmost variety of sympathy and desire among them with regard to the issues and circumstances of the conflict. Some will wish one nation, others another, to succeed in the momentous struggle. It will be easy to excite passion and difficult to allay it. Those responsible for exciting it will assume

a heavy responsibility, responsibility for no less a thing than that the people of the United States, whose love of their country and whose loyalty to its Government should unite them as Americans all, bound in honor and affection to think first of her and her interests, may be divided in camps of hostile opinion, hot against each other, involved in the war itself in impulse and opinion if not in action.

Such divisions among us would be fatal to our peace of mind and might seriously stand in the way of the proper performance of our duty as the one great Nation at peace, the one people holding itself ready to play a part of impartial mediation and speak the counsels of peace and accommodation, not as a partisan, but as a friend.

I venture, therefore, my fellow countrymen, to speak a solemn word of warning to you against that deepest, most subtle, most essential breach of neutrality which may spring out of partisanship, out of passionately taking sides. The United States must be neutral in fact as well as in name during these days that are to try men's souls. We must be impartial in thought as well as action, must put a curb upon our sentiments as well as upon every transaction that might be construed as a preference of one party to the struggle before another.

My thought is of America. I am speaking, I feel sure, the earnest wish and purpose of every thoughtful American that this great country of ours, which is, of course, the first in our thoughts and in our hearts, should show herself in this time of peculiar trial a Nation fit beyond others to exhibit the fine poise of undisturbed judgment, the dignity of self-control, the efficiency of dispassionate action; a Nation that neither sits in judgment upon others nor is disturbed in her own counsels and which keeps herself fit and free to do what is honest and disinterested and truly serviceable for the peace of the world.

Shall we not resolve to put upon ourselves the restraints which will bring to our people the happiness and the great and lasting influence for peace we covet for them?

Executive Order of the President with Further Reference to Radio Communication. September 5, 1914.

Whereas an order has been issued by me dated August 5, 1914, declaring that all radio stations within the jurisdiction of the United States of America were prohibited from transmitting or receiving for delivery messages of an unneutral nature and from in any way rendering to any one of the belligerents any unneutral service; and

Whereas it is desirable to take precautions to insure the enforcement of said order in so far as it relates to the transmission of code and cipher messages by high-powered stations capable of trans-Atlantic communication;

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Now therefore it is ordered by virtue of authority vested in me by the radio Act of August 13, 1912, that one or more of the highpowered radio stations within the jurisdiction of the United States and capable of trans-Atlantic communication shall be taken over by the Government of the United States and used or controlled by it to the exclusion of any other control or use for the purpose of carrying on communication with land stations in Europe, including code and cipher messages.

The enforcement of this order and the preparation of regulations therefor is hereby delegated to the Secretary of the Navy, who is authorized and directed to take such action in the premises as to him may appear necessary.

This order shall take effect from and after this date.

WOODROW WILSON.

The WHITE HOUSE.

Memorandum of the Department of State with Reference to Merchant Vessels Suspected of Carrying Supplies to Belligerent Vessels, September 19, 1914.

1. A base of operations for belligerent warships is presumed when fuel or other supplies are furnished at an American port to such warships more than once within three months since the war began, or during the period of the war, either directly or by means of naval tenders of the belligerent or by means of merchant vessels of belligerent or neutral nationality acting as tenders.

2. A common rumor or suspicion that a merchant vessel laden with fuel or other naval supplies intends to deliver its cargo to a belligerent warship on the high seas, when unsupported by direct or circumstantial evidence, imposes no duty on a neutral government to detain such ships even for the purpose of investigating the rumor or suspicion, unless it is known that the vessel has been previously engaged in furnishing supplies to a belligerent warship. 3. Circumstantial evidence, supporting a rumor or suspicion that a merchant vessel intends to furnish a belligerent warship with fuel or other supplies on the high seas, is sufficient to warrant detention of the vessel until its intention can be investigated in the following cases:

(a) When a belligerent warship is known to be off the port at which the merchant vessel is taking on cargo suited for naval supplies or when there is a strong presumption that the warship is off the port.

(b) When a merchant vessel is of the nationality of the belligerent whose warship is known to be off the coast.

(c) When a merchant vessel, which has, on a previous voyage between ports of the United States and ports of other neutral states, failed to have on board at the port of arrival a cargo consisting of naval supplies shipped at the port of departure, seeks to take on board a similar cargo.

(d) When coal or other supplies are purchased by an agent of a belligerent government and shipped on board a merchant vessel which does not clear for a port of the belligerent but for a neighboring neutral port.

(c) When an agent of a belligerent is taken on board a merchant vessel having a cargo of fuel or other supplies and clearing for a neighboring neutral port.

4. The fact that a merchant vessel, which is laden with fuel or other naval supplies, seeks clearance under strong suspicion that it is the intention to furnish such fuel or supplies to a belligerent warship is not sufficient ground to warrant its detention, if the case is isolated and neither the vessel nor the warship for which the supplies are presumably intended has previously taken on board similar supplies since the war began or within three months during the period of the war.

5. The essential idea of neutral territory becoming the base for nayal operations by a belligerent is repeated departure from such territory by a naval tender of the belligerent or by a merchant vessel in belligerent service which is laden with fuel or other naval supplies.

6. A merchant vessel, laden with naval supplies, clearing from a port of the United States for the port of another neutral nation, which arrives at its destination and there discharges its cargo, should not be detained if, on a second voyage, it takes on board another cargo of similar nature.

In such a case the port of the other neutral nation may be a base for the naval operations of a belligerent. If so, and even if the fact is notorious, this Government is under no obligation to prevent the shipment of naval supplies to that port. Commerce in munitions of war between neutral nations cannot as a rule be a basis for a claim of unneutral conduct, even though there is a strong presumption or actual knowledge that the neutral state, in whose port the supplies are discharged, is permitting its territory to be used as a base of supply for belligerent warships. The duty of preventing an unneutral act rests entirely upon the neutral state whose territory is being used as such a base.

In fact this principle goes further in that, if the supplies were shipped directly to an established naval base in the territory or under the control of a belligerent, this Government would not be obligated by its neutral duty to limit such shipments or detain or otherwise interfere with the merchant vessels engaged in that trade. A neutral can only be charged with unneutral conduct when the supplies, furnished to a belligerent warship, are furnished directly to it in a port of the neutral or through naval tenders or merchant vessels acting as tenders departing from such port.

7. The foregoing propositions do not apply to furnishing munitions of war included in absolute contraband, since in no event can a belligerent warship take on board such munitions in neutral

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waters, nor should it be permitted to do so indirectly by means of naval tenders or merchant vessels acting as such tenders.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE,

September 19, 1914.

Memorandum in reference to The Status of Armed Merchant Vessels, September 19, 1914.1

A.

A merchant vessel of belligerent nationality may carry an armament and ammunition for the sole purpose of defense without acquiring the character of a ship of war.

B.

The presence of an armament and ainmunition on board a merchant vessel creates a presumption that the armament is for offensive purposes, but the owners or agents may overcome this presumption by evidence showing that the vessel carries armament solely for defense.

C.

Evidence necessary to establish the fact that the armament is solely for defense and will not be used offensively, whether the armament be mounted or stowed below, must be presented in each case independently at an official investigation. The result of the investigation must show conclusively that the armament is not intended for, and will not be used in, offensive operations.

Indications that the armament will not be used offensively are: 1. That the caliber of the guns carried does not exceed six inches.

2. That the guns and small arms carried are few in number. 3. That no guns are mounted on the forward part of the vessel. 4. That the quantity of ammunition carried is small.

5. That the vessel is manned by its usual crew, and the officers are the same as those on board before war was declared.

6. That the vessel intends to and actually does clear for a port lying in its usual trade route,' or a port indicating its purpose to continue in the same trade in which it was engaged before war was declared.

7. That the vessel takes on board fuel and supplies sufficient only to carry it to its port of destination, or the same quantity substantially which it has been accustomed to take for a voyage before war was declared.

8. That the cargo of the vessel consists of articles of commerce unsuited for the use of a ship of war in operations against an enemy.

1 Reproduced by Cuba in a decree of March 3, 1916. (Boletin Oficial de la Secretaria de Estado, 1916, p. 501.)