328 .-. (THE LANSING PAPERS, 1914-1920, VOLUME I.

and without any compensating military advantage to the. Alhes, it
seems to me-that this proposal is fair and ought to be acceptable to
Great Britain.

I hesitate to send you these long communications at the present time,
when you are so fully engaged, as I know, upon matters which have
accumulated and upon your annual message, but I am impelled to
do so by the pressure under which the Department suffers from the
continuous inquiries by Congressmen, ship-owners, and seamen in
regard to the pending cases, the rights of American seamen, and the
attitude of the British Government. I am also moved to send you
these now. by the further fact that another case similar to those set
forth in enclosure “B” has recently arisen, and if I do not mistake
the character of the searches of American vessels at sea for German
subjects, other cases are likely to arise at any moment. For these
reasons, and on account of the particularly annoying and unnecessary
nature of these seizures, I deem it very important that these communi-
cations should be forwarded to London as soon as possible.

_ Faithfully yours,
Ropert Lansine

841.622 a/2734 |
7 President Wilson to the Secretary of State

Wasuineoton, 26 November, 1916.
My Dear Mr. Secrerary: I return the enclosed papers (or, rather,
the attached papers)?* with my approval, except that I hope that
you will modify the language of page ten (10) of “A” so as not.
to carry the implication that the British Foreign Office has been
dealing insincerely with us. Whatever the appearances may be to
that effect, I think it would be wise, as well as kind, not to indicate
such an impression on our part, since it is not necessary to our
argument. A little change of phraseology will be easy, I hope. _
- Both papers seem to me to be unusually interesting and quite
unanswerable; and I approve the suggestion of arbitration, to which

you especially call my attention.
Faithfully Yours,.
W. W.

7 See supra.