Office of the Chief of Naval Operations to Captain George R. Clark, Commandant, Fourteenth Naval District, Pearl Harbor
ON-157
TRANSLATION
Operations
27 March 1917.
Navsta Pearl Harbor
Sigscode, Give any assistance necessary to aid civil authorities in placing refugee German ships in safe berths, Must not be taken to Pearl Harbor,1 - Acknowledge – 20027
Opnav.
Source Note: Cy, DNA, RG 45, Entry 517. At the bottom of the message is a designation “Class Sp./1”
Footnote 1: For concern about German ships being blown up, see: Diary of Josephus Daniels, 27 March 1917. In February, Clark had reported an attempt by the crew of the interned German ship Geier to destroy the vessel by setting fire to it after having sabotaged the engines. See, Clark to Opnav, 2 February 1917, RG 45, Entry 517.
