Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, 1914, Supplement, The World War

File No. 195.1/13

The French Chargé d’Affaires (Clausse) to the Secretary of State

French Embassy,
Manchester, Massachusetts, August 20, 1914.
[Received August 22.]

[Translation]

Mr. Secretary of State: My Government has heard that Austro-Hungarian shipowners intend to try and get from American consuls abroad certificates of Federal nationality for vessels sold to American citizens and desires me to inform the Federal Government that such flag transfers, if made, could not be recognized by the Government of the Republic.

Be pleased [etc.]

Clausse