File No. 341.115Am319/236
The Secretary of State to the Chargé in Great Britain ( Laughlin )
Sir: The Department has received your Embassy’s No. 4292,1 of the 19th ultimo, enclosing a copy of a note received from the British Foreign Office under date of July 18 last, replying to the representations made by your Embassy regarding the American Transatlantic Company.
The complaint of the American Transatlantic Company regarding the blacklisting of that company’s vessels referred to in the Department’s telegrams No. 33412 of May 19, 1916, and No. 33933 of June 3, 1916, did not relate to the supplying of bunker coal but related to the difficulty which the company experienced in obtaining employment for its vessels because shippers were unwilling to ship their [Page 431] cargoes on vessels which were carried on the British black list. It is clear, therefore, that the note from the British Foreign Office, dated July 18, is not responsive to representations such as you were instructed to make to the British Government.
You will so inform the Foreign Office and will send to the Department a copy of the Embassy’s note of July 6 referred to in the Foreign Office’s note of July 18.
I am [etc.]