File No. 841.731/170
The British Ambassador (Spring Rice) to the Secretary of State
PRO MEMORIA
The question of the stoppage and detention of commercial telegrams between the United States and Europe has been brought before the British Government by the United States Ambassador.
[Page 531]About 50,000 commercial telegrams a day pass through the commercial cables censorship. Of these a small number have been delayed or stopped owing to the fact that there has been reason to suspect that political and military news has been conveyed to belligerent countries by means of concealed codes.
The following arrangement has been communicated to the United States Ambassador:
Whenever the date of the despatch and addresses of sender and destined receiver are given, the censor will inform the United States Ambassador in London whether the cable has been stopped and the reason for stopping it.
It is, however, to be observed that not all cables between Europe and the United States pass through the British censor.
Washington, December 21, 1914.
[Received December 24]