File No 841.711/244

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

[Telegram]

2904. Your 3774, February 14.1 Minister van Dyke has reported to the Department that on January 16 the British authorities removed from the steamer Rotterdam while passing through British waters 708 sacks mail, including 104 sacks en route direct from the Netherlands to the United States, against which he made informal protest to the officer in charge.

Department approves of Minister’s action and requests that you bring it to the attention of the Foreign Office and urge that they make a formal reply to the Department’s protest of January 4.2 Please explain orally and with emphasis to Sir Edward Grey that the criticism here of such unwarranted interference with mails requires that this Government have a prompt statement of the grounds for the British action in all of these cases.

Lansing
  1. Not printed.
  2. Ante, p. 591.