File No. 124.0665/18
The Ambassador in Great Britain (Page) to the Secretary of State
No. 861]
London,
February 8, 1915.
[Received February 24.]
Sir: With reference to the Department’s
telegram, No. 620 of November 25 last,1 on the subject of the desired
establishment of uniform regulations for the transmission of
correspondence of diplomatic and consular officers in belligerent
territory, I have the honor to transmit herewith enclosed a copy of
a note I have just received from the Foreign Office in reply to the
communication I hastened to make under your instructions.
I have [etc.]
[Enclosure]
The British Secretary of State for Foreign
Affairs (Grey) to
the American Ambassador (Page)
No. 11873/15]
London,
February 6, 1915.
Your Excellency: With reference to the
note which you were good enough to address to me on the 26th of
November last, I have the honour to inform your excellency that
His Majesty’s Government are ready to accept the proposed
regulations put forward by the United States Government for the
exemption from censorship of the correspondence of the United
States diplomatic and consular representatives in belligerent
territory, subject to the following conditions which they feel
bound to request the United States Government to accept:
- (1)
- That the United States Government should formally
recognize that consular officers have no claim as such
to the exemption in question and that the present
concession is made purely as an act of friendship
between the two countries.
- (2)
- That the extension of the privilege of exemption to
consuls shall be strictly confined to consuls de carrière.
- (3)
- His Majesty’s Government are compelled by the
necessities of the military situation to request the
United States Government to be so good as to give a
written guarantee that there shall be strict observance
of the rule that no private correspondence of
individuals or of firms shall be forwarded to or from
diplomatic or consular officers under official cover or
seal.
I have [etc.]
