125.655/10b: Telegram

The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Great Britain (Harvey)

291. The following merely for your information.

On September 11 the British Ambassador called to discuss the Newcastle affair. After reviewing the case the Ambassador expressed the hope that the matter could rest where it was and asked that the Consulate be reopened. He said nothing was to be gained by closing the Consulate. I replied that the British Government did not seem to wish to terminate the affair with the Newcastle incident because, in the last British note,36 it was suggested that if the Department studied the situation it would find that the practice of the Consuls at Newcastle might be somewhat general throughout our Service. I said that this statement made it all the more imperative to know just what our consular officers at Newcastle had been doing. The Ambassador then admitted that there was a feeling in British shipping circles that American officials abroad were acting in this way, and that a number of “friends of his” had been raising the point during his recent visit to England. The Ambassador then outlined the importance of the whole subject and dwelt at length on the new and embarrassing features created by the possible attitude of this Government toward American government-owned vessels.

The Ambassador said the general election in England would occur at the latest in November, 1923, and, in his opinion, would take place 6 or 8 months previous to that date; that England was now preparing for this election and that much pressure was being brought to bear by British shipping interests upon the Board of Trade, which in turn brought pressure upon the Foreign Office, and vice versa. He recalled the last American election and the use made of the League of Nations, and intimated, without saying so, that the British shipping problem would not be less important to the British in their coming elections.

In reply to his request for the immediate opening of the Consulate, I stated that its closing was merely a temporary affair until [Page 397] we had found suitable officers to send there and that we had at no time made any statement to the effect that the Consulate would be permanently withdrawn. The Consulate however I said would not be opened at present.

Repeat to Consul General Skinner.

Phillips
  1. Not printed.