811.113 Senate Investigation/226
The British Ambassador (Lindsay) to the Secretary of State
Dear Mr. Secretary: May I refer to a subject already mentioned to you orally last week, namely, the subpoena issued by the Senate Committee investigating the Munitions Industry to the Guaranty Trust Company calling for the production of all correspondence relative to the substitution of collateral deposited under the Pledge agreement with my Government of November 1916.
I cannot refrain from remarking on the difficulty of understanding how an enquiry into the Munitions industry can be forwarded by investigating the substitution of collateral deposited for a loan which [Page 365] was paid off many years ago. Nevertheless, and leaving out of consideration for the moment any question of the rights which under international usage a foreign Government may enjoy, even in judicial or quasi-judicial proceedings of the character now under discussion, I should be prepared, if you so wish it, to telegraph to my Government to obtain for you any information on the subject matter of the subpoena that you may choose to specify. At the same time I feel bound to suggest to you that to proceed with the investigation of this correspondence of my Government without warning or without attempting to obtain its consent can only be characterised as an act of grave discourtesy.
Very sincerely yours,