File No. 199.1/114
The Ambassador in Great Britain (Page) to the Secretary of State
[Received March 10, 8.45 a. m.]
1752. My 1739, March 5.1 I have received the following communication from Sir Edward Grey:
March 5 [1915].
The American Ambassador will doubtless remember that on the 17th November last Sir Edward Grey drew his attention to the manner in which certain telegrams from private individuals and commercial firms, detrimental to British interests, were being sent through the Department of State, and the censorship authorities have brought to Sir Edward Grey’s notice the fact that this practice is still continued.
Sir Edward Grey would point out that government messages such as those sent by the Department of State obtain priority over ordinary commercial messages and that this is an advantage which messages of the sort referred to should not enjoy over those of other traders.
He considers that His Majesty’s Government can not be asked to agree to British cables being used for the purpose of facilitating commercial transactions with enemy countries.
Seven instances of the type of message referred to, out of a very large number which have passed through the censor’s hands, are annexed. In spite of the prejudicial nature of their contents, all these messages have been forwarded to their destinations.
Another telegram which has just come into the hands of the censors is also annexed (No. 8). This message contains a request for the repetition, as government message, of telegrams connected with trade with the enemy which the censor has stopped. In the circumstances, Sir Edward Grey does not feel that this telegram can properly be forwarded.
The enclosures are copies of eight telegrams, six from the Secretary of State to our consuls at Christiania, February 19; Hamburg, February 19; Copenhagen, February 19; Genoa, February 26; the [Page 711] Embassy at Rome, February 27; and the Legation at The Hague, March 5; one from the Ambassador at Rome to the Secretary of State, February 27; and one from the Consul at Basel to Bashinsky Company, Troy, Alabama, February 28, asking for answer through Secretary of State.1
In view of the British Government’s formal memorandum about cable messages dated February 1 and transmitted by me to the Department with my despatch No. 836 of February 3, there is, I discover, a good deal of suppressed indignation at the use of our official privilege for private purposes. Since in their prohibition or stopping of cables they are within their rights, I have received an intimation that a continuance of private telegrams through official channels may cause an abridgment of our official privileges in the use of cables. In view of the official British Government communication above referred to, I know that they regard this practice as an act of bad faith.