When the World war broke out in August, 1914, the United States at once fixed its relation to the belligerents thru a proclamation of neutrality. The days of the war, before their entry on the side of the allied powers in April, 1917, were marked with difficulties, both in preventing violations of out neutrality and in securing proper respect for our neutral rights. The rights and duties of neutrals were involved. Great Britain, early in the conflict, declared the North Sea to be a military area, notified neutrals of a directed routing, and gave warning against the planting of mines by the German government. The United States attempted to get the powers to agree to the rules of the Declaration of London of 1909 as regulating neutral rights and commerce during the war. Germany and Austria accepted, but Great Britain insisted on substantial modifications. Later the United States rested its claims on the existing rules of international law, and on treaties with the belligerent powers.
An annoying question was that of armed merchant ships. At the outbreak of the war, Great Britain notified the United States that she would be held responsible for injuries resulting to British interests from vessels converted to warships or armed in American ports, even though the completion of the act of conversion took place on the high seas. British merchant vessels, it was asserted, were armed for self-defense only. The position of the United States was that a merchant vessel belonging to a belligerent should not arm itself so as to avoid capture by lawful and legitimate processes. The United States was led to define its attitude toward armed belligerent vessels entering its ports, and toward an armed ship on the high seas. The presence of armament would not of itself justify attack..............
