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Naval History and Heritage Command

Naval History and Heritage Command

Vice Admiral William S. Sims, Commander, United States Naval Forces Operating in European Waters, to the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations

[File No.] 8/4/2I  

CABLEGRAM SENT July 26, 1918, MJK.

To                  Opnav Washington.        Serial No. 1807.

Prepd by:  CS                      NCT D.R.

                                        Cipher N.

CONFIDENTIAL.

1807. Referring to “Report of a Conference between Representatives of the Navy and War Departments relative to Trans-Atlantic Service”1 After consultation with the British Admiralty, I feel that Item four on page two and the question propounded at the beginning of Section B on the same page, involve questions that have not heretofore been dealt with <on> account of the numerous nationalities participating in the Conference. I therefore suggest that these subjects be not submitted for discussion at International Conferences but be dealt with by the Intelligence Division of the Department in so far as action may be found necessary. Lieutenant Commander Blakeslee,2 who is now attending Radio and Signal Conference in Paris, has been provisionally instructed that he is to avoid discussion of these subjects, and that it is highly desirable that they should not be brought up in the Conference. I feel that great harm may result if any discussion takes place which might indicate to the enemy that his radio messages are intercepted and read by the Allies. <20326> 1807.

SIMS.         

Source Note: Cy, DNA, RG 45, Entry 517B. Identification numbers “1/3/J” appear along the upper-right edge in columnar fashion.

Footnote 1: This report has not been found.

Footnote 2: Lt. Cmdr. Edward G. Blakeslee, assigned to Sims’ Communication Section.

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