File No. 763.72111/3847

The Acting Secretary of State to the British Ambassador (Spring Rice)

Excellency: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of the 3d instant, handed on that day to the Secretary of State by the Counselor of your Embassy, in which in view of persistent rumor that a German submarine is on its way to a United States port, you submit, by direction of Sir Edward Grey for the consideration of the Secretary of State “some of the views held by His Majesty’s Government on the issues raised by the visit of such a craft to a neutral port.”

I have [etc.]

[File copy not signed]