File No. 763.72112/1834
The Secretary of State to the British Ambassador ( Spring Rice )
My Dear Mr. Ambassador: Referring to your personal note of October 12, 1915, relative to the alleged shipment by parcels post from New York to Germany and Austria of mineral slag, rubber, and shoes, I beg to advise you that the Department is now in receipt of a letter from the Postmaster General, communicating a report from the postmaster at New York, in which it is stated that no parcels containing printing material compound or rubber stamp material have been shipped through that office to Germany; but that mineral slag, not being included in the contraband list of your Government, parcels said to contain that product have been sent by parcels post to Germany.
The postmaster stated also, that shoes being on the conditional contraband list have not been considered as prohibited and that parcels containing shoes have been shipped to private parties in Germany and Austria.
I am [etc.]