841.731T67/114
The British Ambassador (Geddes) to the Secretary of State
Sir: I have the honour to state that the British Delegates to the International Conference on Communications have derived the impression that the attitude of the United States Government with regard to the allocation of the ex-German cables is to some extent influenced by allegations that commercial cablegrams passing between American firms and firms on the continent are intercepted by the British authorities and purposely delayed or improper use made of the information which they contain.
The members of the British Delegation and I myself are convinced that there is no foundation for these charges. The delegates have on more than one occasion asked their American colleagues to furnish them with full information on the subject in order that careful enquiry may be made. The American delegates have replied that the firms from whom their information was derived are reluctant to disclose their own names or those of their correspondents to the British Government for fear lest they should expose themselves to some form of reprisals.
I need hardly assure you that any such idea is utterly foreign to the intentions of His Majesty’s Government who are only anxious for the information in order that they may remove any possible cause for complaint. Charges of the same nature have, however, been brought against His Majesty’s Government more or less publicly, and I feel that you will agree that the reiteration of such charges would leave His Majesty’s Government no option but to make an equally public reply and to intimate that enquiry had failed to elicit any evidence in support of these statements.
I earnestly trust therefore that as a result of the assurance contained in this note the United States Government may see their way to furnish the British Delegates with the information for which they have asked.
I should add that the British Delegates cannot but feel that the charges are inspired by persons interested in creating friction between our two countries and are but a repetition of similar [Page 700] efforts made towards the end of the year 1918. It is for this reason that the Delegates are anxious to examine the facts closely and feel confident they may rely on the full cooperation of the United States Government in the matter.
I have [etc.]