Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, 1915, Supplement, The World War

File No. 763.72/1653

The Minister in Norway (Schmedeman) to the Secretary of State

No. 80]

Christiania, March 23, 1915.
[Received April 5.]

Sir: Referring to my telegram No. 13 of the 20th instant,¹ informing the Department that the three Scandinavian countries had sent notes to the British and French Governments, protesting against the policy of retaliation against Germany in so far as it affects Scandinavian trade and navigation, I have the honor to enclose herewith copy and translation of the note addressed to the British Government under date of March 17, 1915, which was handed to me personally by the Foreign Minister with the request that it should be considered as confidential. A similar note has been addressed to the French Government.

I have [etc.]

A. G. Schmedeman

[Enclosure—Translation]

The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the British Legation

Christiania, March 17, 1915.

The measures announced by the note of the Legation of His British Majesty of the 1st of this month and to which the subsequent note of the 16th instant likewise refers, being of such a nature as to affect seriously the law of nations and the legitimate interests of the neutral powers, the Royal Norwegian Government hereby makes the most formal reservations against the application of these measures in as far as they concern Norwegian trade and navigation.

1. Ante, p. 146.