File No. 811.741/43 and 46

The Acting Secretary of State to the Diplomatic Representatives of Foreign Governments

[Circular note]

Excellency: I have the honor to enclose herewith, at the request of the Navy Department, a copy of the regulations for the operation [Page 679] of the radio station at Tuckerton, New Jersey, in the form of instructions issued by the Navy Department to the officer in charge of the station.

The Navy Department adds that the nature of the supervision and control of the station will prevent any person being employed in the operation thereof except American citizens.

Accept [etc.]

Robert Lansing

[Enclosure]

The Secretary of the Navy (Daniels) to the officer in charge of the Tuckerton Radio Station

In addition to complying with the provisions of the Executive Order of September 5, 1914, you will be guided by the following instructions relative to the operation of the Tuckerton Radio Station:

(1)
The station shall be used only for transmitting to or receiving from shore stations in Europe and the United Kingdom.
(2)Naval
officials at this station must assure themselves that the messages handled are strictly neutral in character. No unneutral message will be permitted to be handled.
(3)
No messages in cipher or code shall be transmitted or received for delivery unless the United States officials are furnished with a key to such messages.
(4)
No messages in foreign languages or in unintelligible terms shall be transmitted or received for delivery unless the United States Naval officials are supplied with translations of such messages in the English language and the official censors are satisfied of the bona fides of the translations.
(5)
Official radiograms from officials of the United States Government, or from officials of foreign governments on official (state) business, will have priority over all other messages and will be forwarded in the order of sequence of their receipt at the station.
(6)
All commercial or private radiograms must be limited to twenty-five words, including the address and signature, and such radiograms must be in plain language, that is, no code or cipher messages for this class of radiograms will be received for transmission. They must not include any arbitrary terms or unintelligible matter which has not been explained to the officials.
(7)
Radiograms involving press despatches will not be in any way different from other commercial or private radiograms.
(8)
All commercial or private radiograms or press radiograms will only be accepted at the sender’s risk and will be transmitted in the order of receipt at the station, and furthermore there can be no guarantee given for their delivery in foreign points.
(9)
All addresses must be in plain language and must consist of at least four words, and all radiograms must be accompanied by a signature which will consist of at least two words.
(10)
All messages must be in the form of radiograms and shall apply the cable word count without minimum and shall not be transmitted unless fully prepaid at office of origin.
(11)
No messages will be transmitted or delivered until they have been first paraphrased by the censors as may be necessary to ensure their neutral character, whether they are received or are to be sent in plain language or in code, cipher, or foreign language.
(12)
No messages shall be sent or delivered until countersigned by the censor.
(13)
The station charges of the Tuckerton Station will be 25 cents a word, cable count, without a minimum charge.
(14)
Accounting returns will be made monthly on the regular forms to the office of the Superintendent of Radio Service, Radio, Virginia.
(15)
Cipher and code books furnished as well as the contents of all messages handled will be considered as confidential.
(16)
The call letters of the Tuckerton Station will be WGG.