File No. 841.711/2074
The Ambassador in France ( Sharp) to the Secretary of State
[Received June 20.]
Sir: Referring to the Department’s telegraphic instruction No. 2064 of the 12th of last March, directing me to inform the Foreign [Page 525] Office that the Government of the United States was unable to give the assurance that pouches marked “Shipping Documents” would contain only consular invoices, bills of lading, etc., and directing me to express to the Foreign Office the hope of the Government of the United States that the French postal authorities would adopt the same arrangement as that of the Government of Great Britain, which does not require guaranties, I have the honor to inform you that representations were made, as directed, and I am now in receipt of a reply from the Foreign Office, enclosed in copy and translation,1 stating that the French Government, desiring to accede to the request formulated by the Federal Government, has decided that all correspondence marked “Shipping Documents,” shall be examined by the French Military Commission immediately upon arrival and then forthwith dispatched to its destination.
The Foreign Office requests that it be informed with regard to the date upon which the arrangement in question can be put into operation, in order that the control commissions concerned may be notified in time for new arrangements to be made in the premises.
I am [etc.]
- Not printed.↩