841.711/3135
The British Embassy to the Department of State
Aide-Mémoire
His Majesty’s Embassy duly informed His Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom of the contents of the State Department’s aide-mémoire of January 18th. In this aide-mémoire it was suggested that in order to facilitate the transmission of shipping documents from this country to Europe the United States Postal Administration should despach in special bags marked “shipping documents” bills of lading, invoices, etc., referring to cargo in the ship by which the documents in question were despatched, on the understanding that His Majesty’s Government for their part would arrange for the rapid examination of the contents of these bags by the British authorities at the ports of call and for the onward transmission of the documents without delay. An arrangement on these lines was in fact in force during the war of 1914–1918.
His Majesty’s Embassy is glad to be able to inform the State Department that a reply has now been received from the Foreign Office indicating that His Majesty’s Government will be happy to comply with this suggestion. The necessary arrangements have in fact already been made to put the scheme into operation on the British side.