File No. 763.72112/360
The Ambassador in Great Britain (Page) to the Secretary of State
London, September 29, 1914, 7 p.m.
[Received 7:55 p.m.]
[Telegram]
758. I promptly took up your No. 218, September 38, with Sir Edward Grey. He expresses the most earnest wish to avoid every action that will give offense to our Government or cause public criticism in the United States. But he pointed out first that the Declaration of London was never ratified by the British Government, and, secondly, that the modifications of the Declaration of London which are criticized were promulgated before his communication to me transmitted to you in my No. 483 of the 26th August.1 The British purpose he went on to say was to prevent the enemy from receiving food and materials for military use and nothing more. I explained that the people of the United States had a trade with Holland apart from supplies and materials meant for Germany and that our Government could not be expected to see that sacrificed or interfered with. In addition to the intrinsic merits of the case I reminded him of the grave danger of American public criticism which I was sure he did not wish to provoke.
He proposed a discussion of the whole matter with a view to arriving at a satisfactory understanding. This discussion begins tomorrow between him and his attorney general on one side and Anderson2 and me on our side.