SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of Department's instruction.1

I am inclosing herewith a supplement of The London Gazette, No. 29452, issued January 27, 1916, containing the official text of the proclamation referred to in the foregoing.

I have, etc.,

ROBERT P. SKINNER.

1 Not printed.

[Inclosure.]

PROCLAMATION JANUARY 27, 1916, REVISING THE LIST OF ARTICLES TO BE

GEORGE, R. I.

TREATED AS CONTRABAND OF WAR.

Whereas on the 14th day of October, 1915, We did issue Our Royal Proclamation specifying the articles which it was Our intention to treat as contraband during the continuance of hostilities or until We did give further public notice; and

Whereas it is expedient to make certain further additions to and amendments in the said list:

Now, therefore, We do hereby declare, by and with the advice of Our Privy Council, that during the continuance of the war or until We do give further public notice the following articles will be treated as absolute contraband, in addition to those set out in Schedule I of Our Royal Proclamation aforementioned:

Cork, including cork dust.

Bones in any form, whole or crushed, and bone ash.
Soap.

Vegetable fibres and yarns made therefrom.

And we do hereby further declare that as from this date the following amendments shall be made in Schedule I of Our Royal Proclamation aforementioned:

In item 8, for "acetone" shall be substituted "acetones, and raw or finished materials usable for their preparation."

In item 9, for "phosphorus " shall be substituted "phosphorus and its compounds."

In item 26 there shall be added after the word "parts" the words "and accessories."

In item 38 the more general term "lead" shall be substituted for the words "lead, pig, sheet, or pipe."

And We do hereby further declare that the following articles shall as from this date be treated as conditional contraband in addition to those set out in Schedule II of Our Royal Proclamation aforementioned:

Casein.

Bladders, guts, casings, and sausage skins.

Given at Our Court at Buckingham Palace, this twenty-seventh day

of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and sixteen, and in the Sixth year of Our Reign.

No. 3506.]

Ambassador W. H. Page to the Secretary of State.

AMERICAN EMBASSY, London, April 18, 1916.

SIR: Referring to my cablegram No. 4166 of the 17th 1 instant giving the substance of a Proclamation, dated April 12, 1916, making certain additions to and amendments in the List of Articles to be treated as contraband of war during the continuance of hostilities, I have the honor to transmit herewith to the Department seven (7) copies of the extract from the Second Supplement to the London Gazette of Tuesday, April 11, 1916, in which the above-mentioned proclamation is published.

I have, etc.,

[Inclosure.]

WALTER HINES PAGE.

A PROCLAMATION MAKING

CERTAIN ADDITIONS TO AND AMENDMENTS

IN THE LIST OF ARTICLES TO BE TREATED AS CONTRABAND OF WAR.

GEORGE R. I.

Whereas on the 14th day of October, 1915, We did issue Our Royal Proclamation specifying the articles which it was Our intention to treat as contraband during the continuance of hostilities, or until We did give further public notice;

And whereas on the 27th day of January, 1916, We did by Our Royal Proclamation of that date make certain additions to and modification in the list of articles to be treated as contraband;

And whereas it is expedient to make certain further additions to and modifications in the said list:

Now, therefore, We do hereby declare, by and with the advice of Our Privy Council, that during the continuance of the war or until We do give further public notice, the following articles will be treated

1 Not printed.

as absolute contraband in addition to those set out in Our Royal Proclamations aforementioned:

Gold, silver, paper money, and all negotiable instruments and realizable securities.

Metallic chlorides, except chloride of sodium; metalloidic chlorides; halogen compounds of carbon.

Starch.

Borax, boric acid, and other boron compounds.

Sabadilla seeds and preparations therefrom.

And we do hereby further declare that as from this date the following amendments shall be made in Schedule 1 of Our Royal Proclamation aforesaid:

In item 3 the following shall be substituted for the present wording: "Lathes, machines, and tools capable of being employed in the manufacture of munitions of war."

In item 8 for "ether" shall be substituted "formic ether; sulphuric ether."

And we do hereby further declare that no gold, silver, or paper money captured after this date shall be treated as conditional contraband, and that, except as to captures already effected, item 14 shall as from this date be struck out of Schedule II of Our Royal Proclamation aforementioned.

Given at Our Court at Buckingham Palace, this twelfth day of April, in the year of our Lord, one thousand nine hundred and sixteen, and in the Sixth year of Our Reign.

Report from the Consulate General at London to the Secretary of State.

[Extract.]

AMERICAN CONSULATE GENERAL,
London, April 20, 1916.

Vice Consul Reed reports that a White Paper has been issued under the authority of the British Foreign Office which states in part that the distinction between the two classes of contraband has ceased to have any value and that the treatment of them must be identical. Copies of the White Paper are enclosed.

[Inclosure.]

LIST OF ARTICLES DECLARED TO BE CONTRABAND OF WAR-PRESENTED TO BOTH HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT BY COMMAND OF HIS MAJESTY, APRIL, 1916.

The articles declared to be contraband of war in the proclamations now in force have been arranged alphabetically in the accompanying list. It is hoped that this will be convenient to all parties concerned.

The list comprises the articles which have been declared to be absolute contraband as well as those which have been declared to be conditional contraband. The circumstances of the present war are so peculiar that His Majesty's Government consider that for practical purposes the distinction between the two classes of contraband has ceased to have any value. So large a proportion of the inhabitants of the enemy country are taking part, directly or indirectly, in the war that no real distinction can now be drawn between the armed forces and the civilian population. Similarly, the enemy Government has taken control, by a series of decrees and orders, of practically all the articles in the list of conditional contraband, so that they are now available for Government use. So long as these exceptional conditions continue our belligerent rights with respect to the two kinds of contraband are the same and our treatment of them must be identical.

Acetones, and raw and finished materials, usable for their preparation. Aircraft of all kinds, including aeroplanes, airships, balloons, and their component parts, together with accessories and articles suitable for use in connection with aircraft.

Aluminium, alumina, and salts of aluminium.

Ammonia liquor.

Ammonium salts.

Aniline and its derivatives.

Animals, saddle, draught, or pack, suitable, or which may become suitable, for use in war.

Antimony, together with the sulphides and oxides of antimony.