File No. 138/512a, 517a
The Secretary of State to the Diplomatic and Principal Consular Officers in Certain Countries 1
All persons coming to the United States, en route through the United States, or on vessels touching at American ports should submit their passports to American diplomatic or consular officers for verification if American, or visa if foreign. Use word “seen” on foreign passports. Charge no fee for either service. If convinced applicant’s journey for an improper or inimical purpose decline visa and report to Department. If suspicious, but without definite grounds, visa passport but telegraph Department. Examine each applicant with greatest care to ascertain whether entitled to passport he bears and whether coming to this country for purpose he alleges. Visa no passports for German subjects or subjects of countries with which American diplomatic relations are broken without Department’s approval. Instruct consuls.
- Greece, Portugal, Rumania, Russia, and all countries outside Europe except Turkey in Asia (to the principal consular officers in countries where there were no diplomatic representatives). Similar instructions had been sent to missions in European countries in reply to specific inquiries, the earliest instruction being a telegram of Apr. 11, 1917, to the Legation in Norway.↩