File No. 300.115/2012a
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Great Britain (Page)
797. Please deliver a copy of this instruction to Consul General Skinner at the earliest moment. The Department desires to ascertain, through the consuls in the British Isles, and through such other [Page 296] channels as you may deem appropriate to use, statistics showing the imports of copper by Great Britain for each month since hostilities began, and also for the corresponding months of 1913. From information received indications are not wanting that Great Britain, through its interference with the copper trade between the United States and neutral countries in Europe, is able to purchase copper from the United States at a very low rate and sell it to neutral countries in Europe at a profit, thus using her belligerent rights to make a profit on the copper trade to the disadvantage of the industry in the United States. Please add, if possible, in a separate statement the amount of copper received by Great Britain through detention of copper shipments, and what disposition is being made of copper obtained in this way. The American Consul at Gibraltar has been requested to report in regard to copper detained there.