740.00111A Recruiting/217
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Assistant Secretary of State (Acheson)
Mr. Foster of the British Embassy called at my request. I explained to him that the proposal which he presented on February 27th for the establishment of a training school in Canada for the purposes of securing the services of mechanics with radio training residing in the United States had been examined by the interested Departments.
In view of a communication received from the Department of Justice, I explained that the Department of State would oppose the appointment of representatives in this country to solicit and induce radio mechanics to proceed to Canada. This conclusion was based on the fact that one of the alternatives available to them upon the completion of their period of training would be acceptance in the armed forces. The holding out of such an inducement, it was felt, would not be consistent with the provisions contained in Section 10 of the United States Criminal Code,3 which prohibit any person in the United States to hire or retain another to proceed beyond the limits of the United States with the intent to be enlisted as a soldier, marine or seaman.
Mr. Foster stated that he would give the matter further consideration and would like to discuss it again at a later date.
- Approved March 4, 1909; 35 Stat. 1088.↩