that its effect upon German exchange will be too inconsiderable to warrant the complete discontinuance of the work in view of the issues involved. While fully approving, therefore, of the principle involved in the suggestions of the British Government, this Government feels that it is at present not in a position to adopt the actual procedure proposed, and that it must so far as possible work out its own plans. based on conditions existing in the United States. LANSING File No. 861.48/412a The Secretary of State to the Minister in the Netherlands (Garrett) [Telegram] WASHINGTON, November 14, 1917. 773. You are authorized to draw on the Secretary of State for such amounts as Messrs. Bogen and Senior may request on account of Joint Distribution Committee, not in excess of $300,000. Authorize Bogen and Senior distribute relief immediately through Netherlands Consul at Warsaw, obtaining receipts and forwarding same at earliest convenience through Department. LANSING File No. 811.142/2558 The Chargé in Switzerland (Wilson) to the Secretary of State [Telegram] BERNE, November 13, 1917, 10 a. m. [Received November 14, 3.40 a. m.] 2037. Department's 1091, November 5, 3 p. m. For American Red Cross [from Whitehouse]: There has been deposited with us satisfactory guarantee that the $200,000 mentioned will be used exclusively for benefit of children of Polish nationality without distinction of creed and will not release directly or indirectly supplies or money to advantage of Germany. Please cable urgently formal authorization to draw first $100,000, at the same time authorizing drawing second $100,000 on December 1. Guarantee given by Prince Sapieha and Mr. Janasz, holder of power of attorney of Committee of which Kakowsky and Lubomirski are members. Sapieha also member. Details by mail. Whitehouse. WILSON File No. 811.142/2558 The Acting Secretary of State to the Chargé in Switzerland (Wilson) [Telegram] WASHINGTON, November 19, 1917, 5 p. m. 1136. Your 2037, November 13, 10 a. m. American National Red Cross has paid to the Department $100,000 for which, less exchange, you are authorized to draw immediately. Upon receiving proceeds you should obtain in writing the following guarantees specified in the license issued to the Red Cross by the War Trade Boardthat the funds are to be used exclusively for the purchase of food for children of Allied subjects in urban centers of Poland now occupied by the enemy, and that the Warsaw Polish Relief Committee shall ascertain to the best of its ability that the funds will not be used directly or indirectly to the advantage of the enemy, and that no individual remittances shall be paid from such funds to any individual, minor or adult, and that the Committee shall submit to the American National Red Cross a detailed report showing the distribution of such funds. Upon receiving these guarantees in writing you are authorized to pay the proceeds of your draft to the authorized representatives of the Warsaw Polish Relief Committee, accompanying same by written statement as to purpose and conditions and taking written receipt acknowledging receipt from American National Red Cross. Report by cable amount of proceeds of draft and action taken. If practicable, secure assurance of Warsaw Committee that fact of contribution and of like contribution provisionally promised for December is given publicity in Poland and that it shall be thoroughly understood by Poland that contribution is made by American National Red Cross. Department regards it as important from point of view of American interests that measures be taken to assure to the United States the benefit of Polish appreciation of our desire to help her. You may assure Warsaw Committee that unless conditions change in such manner that we cannot then consider sending money into Poland, American National Red Cross will supply $100,000 additional promptly on December 1, upon like conditions. POLK File No. 763.72114/3100 The Ambassador in Great Britain (Page) to the Secretary of State [Telegram] LONDON, December 14, 1917, 2 p. m. 7965. Your 5963, December 5, 8 p. m.1 Government here asks information about the present position of the United States in regard 'Not printed. to issue of licenses for remittances to enemy and enemy-occupied territory and would like to know what remittances have been authorized. They feel they should exercise vigilance but do not wish to place any hindrance in the way of passage of remittances which United States has licensed and may wish to go forward. PAGE File No. 763.72114/3100 The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Great Britain (Page) [Telegram] 6066. Your 7965, December 14. WASHINGTON, December 19, 1917. 1. As regards enemy territory, money may be remitted only to American citizens in good standing to enable them to depart therefrom or for their support when the Department is satisfied that they are prevented from leaving through circumstances over which they have no control. 2. As regards enemy-occupied territory, this Government has been permitting relief funds in limited amounts to be sent to Poland and to the subject races in Turkey, but in the light of various communications received from the British Government, this Government is now reconsidering the question as to the total monthly sums to be allowed and expects to formulate a definite policy shortly. LANSING File No. 763.72114/3135 The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Great Britain (Page) No. 5630 WASHINGTON, January 5, 1918. SIR: The Department acknowledges the receipt of your despatch No. 7776, of December 14, 1917, transmitting a copy of a letter dated December 13, 1917, received from Mr. Kidston of the British Foreign Office, regarding remittances to enemy and enemy-occupied territory.1 You may inform the Foreign Office in reply that the licenses issued by the War Trade Board authorizing such remittances specify that all communications having to do with the transactions so authorized must first pass through the hands of the War Trade Board and are then forwarded by the Department through diplomatic channels. Under these circumstances this Government will be glad 1Not printed; telegram No. 7965, Dec. 14, 1917, from the Ambassador, supra, was based upon the despatch. to have the British Government hold up any communications of this nature which are not forwarded through diplomatic channels. I am [etc.] For the Secretary of State: File No. 763.72114/3294 The Ambassador in Great Britain (Page) to the Secretary of State [Telegram] LONDON, February 14, 1918, 11 p. m. [Received February 14, 11 p. m.] 8672. Referring your mail instructions No. 5630, January 5, 1918, regarding remittances to enemy and enemy-occupied territory. The Foreign Office, in order to coordinate as far as possible the procedure adopted by the two countries, desires to know in fullest detail the principles by which the War Trade Board intend to be guided in authorizing the transmission of funds to enemy and enemyoccupied territory or to territory in the possession or occupation of an ally of an enemy of the United States. The Foreign Office would appreciate being furnished from time to time, for the guidance of British licensing and censorship authorities, with complete lists of amounts sent, persons to whom they are payable, and the channels through which they are to be distributed. The Foreign Office presumes that the decision that correspondence covering these remittances will from now on be transmitted through diplomatic channels, means that the documents will be forwarded to representatives of our Government abroad and not handed for transmission to representatives of neutral countries charged with enemy interests in America.1 File No. 860c.48/12 PAGE The Secretary of State to President Wilson WASHINGTON, March 15, 1918. MY DEAR MR. PRESIDENT: In November you authorized the continuance of monetary relief to the destitute in occupied Poland and 1Note on file copy of this telegram states: "Not to be answered. W[illiam] P[hillips]." also to the subject races in Turkey, but the question of the amount of the relief funds to be transmitted has never definitely been fixed, either by the War Trade Board or by the Department of State. I enclose a brief report for the period from November, 1917, to March, 1918, inclusive, which illustrates the amounts which the War Trade Board has licensed to forward to both Poland and Turkey. The February and March remittances have, however, not all been transmitted as yet. It is deemed desirable to set a limit, if possible, on the monthly remittances. At the present rate at which we are asked to transmit money to Poland, the annual total would not be less than $8,500,000, taking $700,000 as the monthly average. For Turkey, not under British occupation, the annual remittances would total between four and five millions. It seems to me that these amounts are altogether too high and that we should limit the funds for Poland not to exceed $300,000 per month-$200,000 to be for general relief and $100,000 for individual remittances. An appropriate figure for Armenian and Syrian relief might be placed at $150,000 per month, most of which is for general relief. The Polish Relief Committee, the Joint Distribution Committee, and the other organizations will naturally criticize the limiting of these relief funds as these charitable organizations are deeply interested in getting as much relief as possible to the destitute in those countries, and they have very large resources in the United States upon which to draw for this purpose. I believe, however, it is the duty of the Government, in view of recent military developments in Russia and Turkey, to restrict the amounts sent to those countries for relief purposes. I should be grateful for an expression of your views on this question, and, if you approve of the limiting of the remittances, whether you think it advisable to make the limit retroactive so as to include certain of the sums totalling about $1,500,000, which have not yet actually gone forward but for which licenses have been granted by the War Trade Board. In this connection it should be pointed out that, to supplement this monetary relief, it is proposed to permit second-hand clothing to be purchased in neutral European countries and shipped to Poland for the relief of the destitute. I am [etc.] ROBERT LANSING |