340.1115A/1556: Telegram
The Chargé in Germany (Morris) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 23—10:42 a.m.]
4419. Department’s 2804, October 21 [22], 7 p.m.72 In accordance with the Department’s instructions the Embassy presented its official inquiry informally and the Foreign Office availed itself of this circumstance [Page 172] to make its reply oral, informal and unofficial, presumably to leave itself in a position of being able to deny that any definite official request for safe conduct had been made to or refused by it despite the fact that the informal request for assurances was presented to the same officials of the Foreign Office who would receive and reply to a formal communication. Therefore, if the Department contemplates any further steps in consequence of the German attitude it might seem preferable to provoke a formal reply (presumably a refusal) beforehand.
- Not printed; referring to telegram No. 4393, October 21, 6 p.m., supra, the Department requested the Chargé to expedite an official reply (340.1115A/1553).↩