File No. 841.731/64
The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Great Britain (Page)
Washington, November 20, 1914.
[Telegram]
582. In your telegram 826 received by Department October 13,1 you stated that Sir Edward Grey informed you that instructions had been given to discontinue the suppression of commercial telegrams between the United States and neutral countries. He further stated that cases occur in which telegrams disclose what appears to be an attempt to establish trade with a country at war with Great Britain, but that even in these cases the telegrams are passed for transmission unless it appears that delivery would promote some important transaction detrimental to British interests.
The Department calls attention to the fact that there is a daily increase in the number of protests from reliable and substantial business firms in the United States against the manner in which the British Government is now exercising its censorship over strictly commercial telegrams. Besides these protests Department is receiving protests from Danish firms conducting business with American commercial houses, and this Government has also been approached by the Government of Switzerland with a view to presenting a joint protest to the British Government on account of the unreasonable regulations pertaining to the censorship of commercial cable messages between the United States and Switzerland. The Department is informed that the Swiss Minister in London is receiving instructions also to protest against the rigors of the censorship as at present enforced. The Swiss Minister will probably [Page 517] confer with you upon this subject, and you should cooperate with him ill every way possible. The Department prefers, however, to have you present a separate protest with the view of reaching some arrangement by which the present regulations concerning the censorship may be so amended as to lessen the hardships and inconvenience and loss of money which is now entailed upon the commercial houses of the United States. Department is sending instructions to Paris.
Please keep the Department fully informed as to the action of the British Government.