and allied merchant vessels will be destroyed irrespective of the safety
and the lives of the passengers and the crews, and in which neutral
shipping will be exposed to similar danger in view of the uncertainties
of naval warfare, and

Whereas, in the memorandum accompanying the said orders, neutrals are
warned against intrusting crews, passengers, or goods to British or
allied ships, and

Whereas, such attempts on the part of the enemy give to his Majesty an
unquestionable right of retaliation; and

Whereas, his Majesty has therefore decided to adopt further measures in
order to prevent commodities of any kind from reaching or leaving
Germany, although such measures will be enforced without risk to neutral
ships or to neutral or non-combatant life and in strict observance of
the dictates of humanity; and

Whereas, the allies of his Majesty are associated with him in the steps
now to be announced for restricting further the commerce of Germany, his
Majesty is therefore pleased by and with the advice of his Privy Council
to order, and it is hereby ordered, as follows:

First--No merchant vessel which sailed from her port of departure after
March 1, 1915, shall be allowed to proceed on her voyage to any German
port. Unless this vessel receives a pass enabling her to proceed to some
neutral or allied port to be named in the pass, the goods on board any
such vessel must be discharged in a British port and placed in custody
of the Marshal of the prize court. Goods so discharged, if not
contraband of war, shall, if not requisitioned for the use of his