File No. 851.731
The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in France (Herrick)
Washington, November 20, 1914, 6 p.m.
[Telegram]
286. The Department wishes to call your 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 censorship over strictly commercial telegrams is now being exercised. This Government has also been approached by the Government of Switzerland with a view to presenting a joint note to the French Government on account of the unreasonable regulations pertaining to the censorship of commercial messages between the United States and Switzerland. Department is informed that the Swiss Minister in Paris is receiving instructions also to protest against the rigors of the censorship as at present enforced. The Swiss Minister will probably confer with you upon this subject and you should cooperate with him in every way possible. 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 similar instructions to London.
Please keep the Department fully informed as to the action of the French Government.