763.72111/2065
The Counselor for the Department of State (Lansing) to the Secretary of State
My Dear Mr. Secretary: The annexed undated memorandum was handed to me this afternoon by Prince Hatzfeldt, and, after carefully reading the statements which it contains, I feel that there is very slender legal ground for refusing clearance to the Pisa.55
The memorandum is very frank in stating that it is intended to supply a German war vessel, if possible, but we have no evidence that any German war vessel has been supplied from United States territory within the last three months. I hardly know what ground we could urge for refusing clearance in the circumstances; and I furthermore think it would be politic to allow the vessel to depart. I am making only this brief comment because there is not time to prepare a full memorandum on the subject.
Faithfully yours,
- A copy of this memorandum dated Mar. 26, 1915, is printed in Foreign Relations, 1915, supp., p. 858. For correspondence previously printed concerning the Pisa and similar vessels, see ibid., pp. 858 ff.↩