841d.00/265
Certain Members of the United States Senate to the Acting Secretary of State
Sir: On Wednesday last the British Embassy in Washington refused vises for passports regularly issued by the United States Government to four distinguished American citizens chosen by the unofficial, but representative, American Commission on Conditions in Ireland to visit England and Ireland to ascertain the facts with respect to present conditions in Ireland.
[Page 124]It is our opinion that this refusal to admit to England and Ireland Americans seeking to serve the ends of truth and peace by an unobtrusive ascertainment of facts constitutes a violation of the right of free communication between the liberty-loving people of two democracies. Moreover, it is an instance of the kind of governmental suppression of truth and free speech that may result in serious danger to the friendly relations of Great Britain and the United States, because its effect is to foster misunderstandings between peoples whose continued friendship depends upon mutual knowledge and comprehension of the problems confronting each other.
The Government of the United States has placed no obstacles in the way of British and other foreign missions, commissions, and committees, official and unofficial, coming into this country for all kinds of purposes. While we were still neutral with reference to the great war, British missions were permitted to visit all parts of the United States to conduct active propaganda and investigate American industrial, economic and social conditions. Great Britain now denies to American citizens what the United States has fully granted to British citizens.
It is therefore our opinion that this refusal of visas for passports regularly issued to American citizens by the Government of the United States calls for a protest to the British Government by the Government of the United States together with a request for an explanation of the British Government’s reasons for pursuing such a course.
Consequently, we wish to urge you to transmit a formal protest to the British Government accompanied by a request that the British Government explain publicly why it refuses the right of travel in the British Isles to representative American citizens seeking to ascertain the truth as to a situation which, if permitted to continue, may seriously affect the friendly relations of the American and the English peoples.
Respectfully,
- G. W. Norms
- T. J. Walsh
- Joseph Irwin France
- Robert M. La Follette
- Jos. E. Ransdell
- David I. Walsh
- Asle J. Gronna
- Geo. E. Chamberlain
- Duncan U. Fletcher
- Jno. K. Shields