File No. 763.72111So4/16
The Secretary of State to the Secretary of Labor (Wilson)
Sir: In response to your letters of September 28 and 30 last,2 I have the honor to enclose a copy of a note which I have received [Page 706] from the British Ambassador in regard to members of the armed forces of the United Kingdom entering United States ports en route to Canada after September 26.
In view of the proposal made to the British and French Ambassadors as stated in my letter to you of September 23,1 which this Department expects the British and French Governments will accept, this Department concurs in your action in withdrawing your Department’s circular of September 8 in this matter. This Department desires, however, to be advised, if possible, of all cases of soldiers discharged or on furlough or in the active service of any of the belligerents who enter at United States ports, and the purpose of their visit here; but it is not deemed necessary to detain any such soldiers in order to obtain this information, nor is the correspondence on this subject to be regarded as affecting the understanding arrived at by the Department of Justice, this Department, and the Department of Labor in April last in regard to obtaining a test case in order to construe the provision of the act of March 7, 1907, in respect to expatriation by taking an oath of allegiance to a foreign government.
I have [etc.]