702.0065/26a: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the American Representative to the French Committee of National Liberation at Algiers ( Wilson )
705. For L’Heureux.24 The British Embassy has raised the question of communication privileges to be accorded the consuls of the United Nations who will establish themselves in liberated Italy. The Foreign Office view is that cipher privileges should be denied them; that any messages which they do not wish to send in plain language may be sent through the Control Commission which will encipher them.
The Department is of the opinion that, since members of the Advisory Council can communicate with their respective Governments in cipher, consular officers of those nations represented on the Advisory Council should be granted similar privileges. The Department does not intend to deprive itself of communicating with its consulates in Italy in code. With respect to the consular officers of other United Nations we consider the question of their code privileges should be determined on the basis of military security. Please ascertain the views of AFHQ25 with respect to this latter category making it clear that you are not raising the question with respect to United States consular traffic.
The British Embassy here has been informed of our position.