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

File No. 763.72111/297

The Acting Secretary of Commerce ¹ (Sweet) to the Secretary of State

Department of Commerce,
Washington, August 7, 1914.
[Received August 8.]

Sir: I enclose herewith for your information a copy of a telegram last night sent to the collector of customs, New York, New York, in regard to clearance of vessels carrying supposed reservists.

Respectfully,

E. F. Sweet

[Enclosure—Telegram]

The Acting Secretary of Commerce (Sweet) to the Collector of Customs New York

Department of Commerce, Washington , August 6, 1914 ,

We think Clearance must be granted when supposed reservists go AS individuals and not as organized military unless there are other grounds for withholding.

E. F. Sweet

1. See the letter of the Acting Secretary of Commerce to the Secretary of State, August 6, 1914, post, p. 595, for instructions of August 5 to the collector of customs at New York regarding the clearance of foreign merchant vessels, containing the following directions: It must be clear that she is not to be used for transportation recruits or reserves for a foreign army or navy. . . . If her passengers are nearly all men and practically all of the same nationality, clearance cannot be granted.