811.113 Senate Investigation/232
Memorandum by the Secretary of State
The British Ambassador called and brought up the question of the threatened action of the Nye Munitions Investigating Committee, and expressed serious concern about the possible publicity by that Committee of more or less confidential data and records involving the British Government, which records were supposedly on file with J. P. Morgan and Company and certain other banks.
I replied that I had thus far said and done everything within my power to prevent any offensive or undesirable publication, such as the Ambassador was referring to; that I had requested the President to make representations to the Nye Committee against such publicity; that I had also conferred with leaders in the Senate from every standpoint that might be calculated to advance this same idea,—that this, however, was very confidential; and that, in addition, the Nye Committee had solemnly agreed to make nothing of these bank records public without first letting the State Department know their contents with a chance to state its views as to whether publicity should or should not be given. The Ambassador said he would like to keep in touch with the Department with respect to the matter, as it was giving his Government concern. He did add that there might or might not be objection to publicity when the full facts were known.