File No. 841.711/2090
The Ambassador in Great Britain (
Page) to the
Secretary of State
No. 6435
London,
June 20, 1917.
[Received July 6.]
Sir: With reference to the Department’s
instruction No. 4916 of April 6, 1917, in regard to remittances from
American citizens to persons in Germany, Austria-Hungary, and to neutral
countries, which have not reached their destinations owing to their
reported detention by British authorities, I have the honor to transmit
herewith, for the information of the Department, a copy of a note, dated
June 19, 1917, which I have received from the Foreign Office in reply to
my representations in this connection.
I have [etc.]
[Enclosure]
The British Secretary of State for Foreign
Affairs (
Balfour) to
the American Ambassador (
Page)
No. 117596/X
London,
June 19, 1917.
Your Excellency: With reference to the
note No. 3821 which your excellency was good enough to address to me
on April 25 last, regarding remittances sent to persons in enemy
countries and at present detained by His Majesty’s authorities, I
have the honour to
[Page 526]
inform
you that the meaning of the expression referred to in your
excellency’s note was that His Majesty’s Government were entitled in
the exercise of their belligerent rights to intercept documents of
this nature destined for enemy countries and to place them in the
prize court, where those which were of a contraband nature would be
condemned and the remainder dealt with in accordance with the
directions given by the court.
Although the number of documents, which have been intercepted, is so
great that it has not yet been found possible in the majority of
cases to bring the prize court proceedings to a conclusion, no
claimant has yet availed himself of the right accorded by paragraph
5 of the order in council of 11th March 1915 to institute
proceedings for the return of the remittances which he claims.
I propose, however, to communicate to your excellency in due course
certain proposals which are at present being considered by His
Majesty’s Government for the ultimate disposal of all such documents
and papers as those in question.
I have [etc.]
For the Secretary of State:
Eyre A. Crowe
