Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, The Lansing Papers, 1914–1920, Volume I

763.72/1867½

The Secretary of State ad interim to President Wilson

Washington, June 15, 1915.

Dear Mr. President: I enclose a memorandum which the British. Ambassador handed me yesterday, requesting copies of sworn declarations of the United States customs or other officers who examined the Lusitania prior to her departure from New York, for the use of the British Government in connection with the Lusitania inquiry. I am informed by the Treasury Department that the reports of the Collector at New York are in your hands.²¹ I therefore venture to ask if you perceive any objection to having copies of the Collector’s whole report, or certain portions of it, made and sent to the Ambassador, in compliance with his request. It may be that the Collector’s report is in such shape that it would be more convenient to ask the Treasury Department to obtain sworn statements of the customs officers, covering the particular points mentioned by the Ambassador in his memorandum.

Very sincerely yours,

Robert Lansing

[Enclosure]

Memorandum by the British Ambassador (Spring Rice)

Is there any objection to communicating to the British Government for use in connection with the Lusitania enquiry copies of sworn declarations of U. S. customs or other officials who examined the vessel prior to departure from New York, describing precise nature of their inspection and stating whether or not there were any guns on board and whether or not the vessel carried any explosives. [?]

Washington , June 14, 1915.

21. See p. 428.