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CONSIDERATions of GenERAL POLICY
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27. The Committee of Imperial Defence have decided that the should be exercised at any port in the United Kingdom on the request of the
droit de prince Admiralty or of any naval officer to whom the Admiralty may have delegated the authority to make this request. The Governments of India and the Dominions and the Governors of Crown Colonies would of course have authority to order “arrêt de prince" in their respective ports. The right of "arrêt de prince" should, however, be exercised with due regard to the considerations in the previous paragraph. Officers exercising the right of "arrêt de prince" should be instructed to report all the circumstances of the case at the earliest possible opportunity in order that the necessary diplomatic steps may be taken by the Foreign Office.
28. The Diversion of Steamer Services.—It is possible that naval or military considerations may require the diversion of the regular steamer traffic from some of the British naval bases or fortified ports abroad, on the ground that merchant-vessels may be utilised for purposes of espionage. Such a diversion of traffic may in particular be necessary in cases where a regular and frequent mail service is maintained with some neighbouring foreign port. In such cases the traffic should be diverted to the nearest and most convenient commercial port in the Dominion or Colony. In cases where the diversion of neutral shipping is found to be necessary, the British Government should be notified at once, in order that explanations may be offered to the neutral State concerned.
29. Any such diversion of traffic should, however, be made with due regard to the great importance in the general interests of the Empire that British trade shall, as far and as long as possible, continue in war as well as in peace. No restriction, such as that suggested above, should be unnecessarily or prematurely adopted, and the greatest freedom of access to every commercial port consistent with due regard to paramount
aval and military considerations should be allowed.
(E.)-Contraband.
30. It is important that machinery should be in existence for dealing with enemy or neutral vessels in port which may endeavour to depart after the outbreak of war with contraband on board, or which are themselves of a contraband character, or vessels which there is reason to suppose are engaged in rendering unneutral service.
PART II. DETAILED ARRANGEMENTS IN THE UNITED Kingdom anD IN THE DOMINIONS FOR GIVING EFFECT TO THE ABOVE POLICY,
31. As there is an essential connection between a policy of detaining enemy merchant-vessels in our ports and the procedure to be adopted in declaring war, the Foreign Office have undertaken to draw the attention of His Majesty's Government to this in the event of relations with any foreign nation becoming strained. Immediately on the outbreak of war the Foreign Office will issue an Order in Council setting forth the precise policy to be pursued. A draft of such Order in Council is attached to this Memorandum (Appendix I), but the precise terms will be arranged during the period of strained relations, if such period precedes the war, and otherwise immediately before its issue.
32. The exact terms of this Order in Council will be communicated, as soon as it is completed, to the various departments of the Government concerned, including the Colonial Office. The Secretary of State for the Colonies will then cable the precise terms of the British Order in Council to the Governments of those Dominions which have expressed their intention of co-operating in the policy of His Majesty's Govern- ment, in order that each Government may complete a corresponding legal instrument applicable to its own case. If this communication is sent prior to the outbreak of war, a further telegram requesting the Dominion Governments to take action will be sent on the outbreak of war.
be
33. On the receipt of the Secretary of State's telegram asking that action taken, the Government of each Dominion will publish its own Örder in Council or
may
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