Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, 1915, Supplement, The World War

File No. 300.115/5970

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

No. 2443]

London, October 29, 1915.
[Received November 12.]

Sir: Adverting to the Department’s instructions No. 1526 of August 31 and to my cablegram No. 3113 of to-day’s date¹ regarding the shipment from Rotterdam to the United States of 153 cases of porcelain guides on behalf of the Mitchell-Bissell Company of New York, I have the honor to enclose herewith, for the information of the Department, a copy of a note which has been received from the Foreign Office in reply to my representations in the premises, and in which it is stated that the British Consul General at Rotterdam is being authorized to issue, on application, a permit for the shipment of the goods in question.

It is further set forth in the note above mentioned that these goods could well be supplied from Great Britain, and that it is only on account of the fact that the delay required to place the orders might prove inconvenient for the users in the United States of America that the British Government have decided to treat this application as a special case, and further that the grant of a permit for the whole amount in this instance must therefore not be considered in any way as a precedent for dealing with future applications of this description.

I also have the honor to return herewith the order forms for these guides which were transmitted to the Embassy by the Department in its instructions No. 1526 of August 31.

I have [etc.]

Walter Hines Page

[Enclosure]

The British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Grey) to the American Ambassador (Page)

No. 155630/15]

London, October 28, 1915.

Your Excellency: With reference to the note which your excellency was good enough to address to me on the 18th ultimo respecting the shipment to the Mitchell-Bissell Company of New York of 153 cases, of German porcelain guides, I have the honour to inform your excellency, that after due consideration of the case, His Majesty’s Government have decided to raise no objection to the passage of these goods, and His Majesty’s Consul General at Rotterdam is being instructed to issue, on application, a permit for their shipment.

I would, however, observe that these goods could well be supplied from this country, and it is only because the delay required to place the orders might prove inconvenient for the users in the United States of America that His Majesty’s Government have decided to treat the present application as a special case. The grant of a permit for the whole amount in this instance must there fore not be considered in any way as a precedent for dealing with future applications of this kind.

I have [etc.]

[File copy not signed]

1. Not printed.