File No. 763.72111/4353
The Secretary of the Treasury ( McAdoo) to the Secretary of State
Sir: I have the honor to refer to the instructions to the collectors of customs issued in accordance with your advice, whereby they have [Page 542] to make a report to this Department of the armament of every arriving merchant vessel of a belligerent nation when the armament of that particular vessel has not been previously reported on, and await authority to clear the vessel.
This Department has noticed that the large number of such reports received during the last six months are all substantially the same, and does not recall a case where clearance has been refused. It further appears that delay and expense are entailed upon many of the vessels by reason of having to obtain authorization from Washington for clearance.
Under these circumstances it seems desirable that some plan be devised whereby collectors may not in general be required to request specific authority for granting clearance to armed merchant vessels.
I suggest that this might be accomplished by giving collectors general instructions under which they will continue to report through this Department every arrival and departure of such vessels, but will not require special authorization for clearance unless their examination discloses something of an unusual character.
In this connection I inclose herewith for your information, a copy of a letter dated the 18th instant, from the collector of customs at Boston, requesting that instructions be issued authorizing him to clear any vessel where the conditions are exactly similar to those already reported to the Department in the case of other vessels, it being understood that the assurance of the consul that the vessel is armed for defense only will be received before clearance is issued.1
Attention is invited to the collector’s statement that this authority is requested to obviate the necessity of telegraphing or telephoning to this Department in cases where vessels remain in port but a short time and where it is a serious inconvenience and loss to the steamship companies if clearance is delayed.
In view of the large numbers of vessels which are daily being reported upon, I shall be pleased if you will give this question your early consideration.
By direction of the Secretary.
Respectfully,
Assistant Secretary
- Not printed.↩