340.1115A/59: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Kennedy)
1086. Your 1830, September 26, 5:30 P.M.
First. It was always intended to send the Iroquois to a British port for repatriation service. The Acadia is not proceeding to England. She is sailing for Bordeaux, and if she has a full complement of passengers there, will proceed directly to the United States. If she is not loaded to reasonable capacity out of Bordeaux, she may go to a Channel port provided there will be enough passengers there to justify the call under the circumstances then existing. Operators of Acadia are so instructed by Maritime Commission and you will be advised by operators’ agents in London of space if any remaining after Bordeaux for passengers from England.
These vessels have been certified by the United States Maritime Commission as seaworthy and sufficient in every respect to travel on the North Atlantic run at this season of the year. The maximum capacities of 675 and 860 respectively compare with their normal of 623 and 815 respectively. In each case it is understood that the conditions would be crowded and that for practical reasons it might be possible to utilize less than the maximum capacity. However, we are [Page 615] again today advised by the Maritime Commission that the Acadia can easily accommodate 800 persons and can carry 860. These vessels were dispatched to fill an emergency. We have understood several thousands of Americans were in England desiring an opportunity in an emergency to return to the United States. The service offered is the best available and has been furnished with the expectation and in the belief that citizens desiring to return safely to America would be glad to avail themselves of safe, American flag vessels even if the passengers were somewhat crowded.
Second. We have already advised you of the legal reasons which underlie our inability to agree to the principle that others than American citizens can travel to the United States on these vessels. There are various other ships under the United States flag plying between English ports and the United States upon which persons of the nationalities to which you refer may obtain passage. However, the use of the specially diverted ships has been limited as explained to you for legal reasons which underlie the policy of the United States and it might prove very embarrassing to the United States if you should hold out to the persons you mention the hope that they can obtain accommodations on these vessels. For your confidential information, the Department was faced with an emergency situation at Bordeaux involving the same principle, and an exception had to be made in that case because of unauthorized commitments. However, the Department does not feel that it is authorized to expend these funds on that account, and you are definitely requested not to make any such commitment or to hold out that thought. If it were not for the fact that they could be accommodated on other ships, Department might consider asking the Congress for authority to take some steps in those circumstances, but that contingency does not arise.
Third. You mention that the cost of travel on these vessels is in some cases prohibitive. Of course you will realize these vessels are being dispatched at a considerable expense to the Government. The price of passage is not fixed by the Government but has been adopted by the operators at the same rate as the regular conference rates governing the North Atlantic run for similar passenger facilities. As you are aware, arrangements already exist for assisting persons with insufficient funds for passage money to obtain funds from this country. Without going into details here, your attention is called to our No. 75, September 12, 7 P.M., Circular to Bern. When names and addresses of persons desiring assistance from relatives and friends are telegraphed to the Department, it is in a position to contact the relatives or friends without delay and transmit funds deposited by them to you for payment to the citizens concerned. Steamship company agents ought to be glad to receive passenger dollar checks on American banks [Page 616] from persons known to have sufficient resources. In case they are not known to be persons with sufficient resources, the procedure outlined above should be followed. In every case persons assisted in this manner must be bona fide American citizens.