Office of the Historian

811.73/465

Memorandum by the Third Assistant Secretary of State (Merle-Smith)

[Washington,] December 20, 1920.

Mr. Vallance: I telephoned the British Embassy Saturday and talked to Mr. Tennant.1 I informed him of the situation, telling him that we must at least have some security that the cable would not be laid within the territorial waters of the United States to avoid embarrassing complications; that the best thing to do would be to have the cable taken off the vessel in England. Hp said he agreed with me that this should be done and would telegraph London [Page 698] in regard to the matter, and that if they could not have that done they would try and arrange for some assurance which would satisfy us.

Van S. M[erle]-S[mith]
  1. Mr. H. V. Tennant, Secretary, temporarily attached to the British Embassy.↩