File No. 300.115/1922
The Minister in Denmark (Egan) to the Secretary of State
Copenhagen, November 27, 1914.
[Received December 28.]
No. 813]
Sir: In amplification of my, telegram of November 25, 6 p.m.,2 replying to the Department’s telegram of November 24, 11 p.m.,2 directing the Legation to make representations to the Danish Government with the view of procuring the release of the cotton cargoes on the steamers Hellig Olav , Van Leer and Frederick , said to have been held up by the Danish authorities, I now have the honor. to report that the Danish Foreign Office informs the that, owing to the scarcity of cotton in Denmark, it has. been found necessary to detain certain cotton shipments in order to replenish the depleted local supply. However, I am assured that, although it is not possible to release the thousand bales on board the Hellig Olav, the Danish Government has granted a dispensation permitting the cargoes of [Page 402] the steamers Frederick and Triton to be reexported to Germany. Subsequent shipments, with the exception of those which it is found necessary to detain in order to supply Danish needs, will, I am also assured, be permitted to proceed to Germany.
The very delicate position of the Danish Government during the present crisis renders its task of maintaining its neutrality, in the face of the pressure which is being brought to bear upon it by the British and German Governments, a most difficult one Its attitude respecting the enforcement of the embargo on exports has consequently been assumed in order to commit itself as little as possible to any definite policy which might subsequently prove to be embarrassing. With this object in view it has alternately enforced and lifted the aforesaid embargo and, as reported in the Legation’s despatch No. 811 of November 18, 1914,1 it finally interpreted the embargo as applying to all commodities except those declared at the place of shipment to be in transit and so described on a through bill of lading to another country.
It now takes the position that the embargo is in no way political and that the articles retained are only such as are necessary for use in Denmark, but furthermore maintains that all shipments are subject to such detention, if needed in this country.
I have [etc.]