With further reference to your cablegram No. 57 of the 9th instant¹ I have to state that following my formal despatch to the British Ambassador acquainting him with my appointment as Consul General I had a long interview today with Sir Ronald Lindsay and we discussed very fully the results of the establishment of the Consulate General.

The Ambassador apparently anticipates that in the course of time our Consulate General will take over all the work in this country for our citizens, a conclusion which is only to be expected in view of the fact that we already insist upon the issue of passports, deportation documents and visas. The British Authorities naturally expect also to transfer to us the more troublesome and unremunerative work which they have been performing on our behalf. It seems therefore that in a short time the Consulate General will be functioning for the entire United States.

The actual details of the transfer of functions to the Consulate General will have to be worked out at New York and I have no doubt this can be satisfactorily accomplished. It must, of course, be realized that a little give-and-take on both sides will be necessary, especially during the transitional period.

I handed a Note to the Acting Secretary of State acquainting him with the desire of my Government to establish at New York a Consulate General. It was necessary to inform the State Department of this proposal before seeing the British Ambassador and for this reason it was not possible to await the arrival of my Commission before making a formal approach to the Secretary of State.

The Acting Secretary of State was very agreeable and stated that he would arrange for provisional recognition pending the completion of the necessary arrangements for the issue of exequatur.

Everything possible has now been done here and all that remains is for me, on arrival at New York, to see the British Consul General and reach a modus operandi with him.

I cabled you on the 11th of September as follows: