File No. 841.711/902
The British Ambassador (Spring Rice) to the Secretary of State
[Handed to the Secretary by the Ambassador, August 16.]
Dear Mr. Secretary: Lord Grey wishes me to make the following communication for the information of your Government, in view of certain allegations which have appeared in the press:
A suspicion appears to have been aroused in the United States that the British censorship of mails is being used as a means of capturing American trade and American markets by utilizing the trade secrets of neutral firms and that such information is being communicated by officials of His Majesty’s Government to private persons in the United Kingdom with this object.
Any such use of the censorship is directly contrary to the policy of His Majesty’s Government and contrary to their orders. Any action of this kind taken by an official of His Majesty’s Government would therefore constitute an offence under the “Act to prevent disclosure of official documents and information” of 1911.
His Majesty’s Government have no reason to suppose that any such offence has actually taken place and they have received no evidence of it. As any such offence, indicating as it would untrustworthiness of officials in responsible positions, would be as detrimental to the interests of His Majesty’s Government [Page 619] as to those of neutrals, His Majesty’s Government will be glad to receive at any time evidence that such an offence has actually occurred.
At the present moment, and in the absence of such evidence, they must express their absolute confidence in the whole staff employed in censorship and they must repudiate the allegations in question.
If you have no objection, I should like to communicate to the press the first three paragraphs of this telegram, as their publication may lead to evidence being afforded to my Government as to any breach of the regulations which may have occurred or which may be suspected.
Believe me [etc.]