File No. 300.115/245

The Honorable Seth Low to the Secretary of State

Sir: On behalf of the conference held in Washington on August 14, 1914, under the auspices of the Secretary of the Treasury,1 I have the honor to ask your attention to the following resolution adopted by the committee appointed by that conference:

Resolved that the State Department be requested to take up with the British Government the question of securing the release of funds and shipments now held in London or elsewhere resulting from the sale or diversion of shipments that have been diverted or commandeered

Very respectfully,

Seth Low

Chairman
  1. The Grain Export and Foreign Exchange Conference here referred to comprised 62 representatives of the trading, shipping, and banking interests concerned in the exportation of grain. It considered and passed resolutions on all aspects of the business and designated a standing committee in three sections—war risk insurance, transportation, and foreign exchange—under the chairmanship of Mr. Low, to carry on its work, to confer with the departments of Government, and to make further recommendations for measures of relief. Other measures successfully urged by the conference were the creation of a Government Bureau of War Risk Insurance and a relaxation of the laws governing American registry of foreign-built ships.