Office of the Historian

File No. 841.731/109

The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Great Britain (Page)

Department of State,
Washington, December 11, 1914.

[Telegram]

739. New Orleans Cotton Exchange has received numerous complaints against action British and French censors in holding up cablegrams to and from United States regarding purchase and sale cotton. Complaints deal chiefly with cablegrams between United States, Italy, Spain and state at present no cable codes allowed to neutral countries and cables are charged in full by cable companies, delivered or not delivered. Great trouble and confusion arises when one of a series of cables is missing and means endless expense in sending various cables trying to get one of them to destination explaining all that has been done in the past.

[Page 525]

Exchange earnestly recommends that permission be granted for the use of Meyer’s or Shepperson’s cotton codes, Liverpool Cotton Gazette of November 21. Exchange States that action: of British and French censors is having a disastrous influence on financial conditions in cotton States of South. Despatch follows.

Bryan