841.731T67/114
The Acting Secretary of State to the British Ambassador ( Geddes )
Excellency: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note No. 713 of November 2, 1920, in which you 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. You state that your Government is anxious to obtain specific information on this subject in order that any possible cause for complaint may be removed. You add that charges of this nature have been brought against your Government more or less publicly and that reiteration of these charges would leave your Government no option but to make an equally public reply and to intimate that inquiry had failed to elicit any evidence in support of these statements.
In reply I have the honor to state that in reliance upon the assurance contained in the third paragraph of your note, this Government is transmitting herewith a memorandum3 setting forth specific complaints relative to the following subjects:
- 1.
- Delays in the Transmission of Messages Alleged to Have Taken Place While Under the Control of the British Authorities.
- 2.
- Complaints Regarding the Suppression of Messages.
- 3.
- Complaints That Information Obtained Through Censorship Was Used by British Concerns.
As the memorandum enclosed herewith contains information of a somewhat confidential character, I have the honor to request that no publicity be given to it.
A statement containing the data set forth in the enclosed memorandum has been delivered to the Chairman of the British Delegation to the International Conference on Communications.
[Page 701]I may add that these complaints indicate the reasons that cause American business interests to consider it important to have cable facilities operated by Americans free from foreign censorship and control.
I have the honor to state that the Department assumes no responsibility for the sentiments expressed by the writers of some of the communications included in the memorandum, which are of course merely expressions of individual opinion. It seemed not only impracticable in many cases to eliminate these expressions from those portions of the communications necessary to an understanding of the matters complained of, but also it seemed fair to all parties that the impression produced on the writers of the letters by the circumstances complained of, as well as any bias which they might have in the premises, should be disclosed in their own language.
I may state in conclusion that, while this Government has not implied that the British Government has been guilty of any such practices, the sentiment does exist. Furthermore, this sentiment is going to be difficult to dispel as long as the British Government exacts from the cable companies operating in England, the delivery of all the messages which they handle.
Accept [etc.]
- Not printed.↩