File No. 763.72112/2564
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Great Britain (Page)
3426. Your 4345,1 May 22. You may bring to attention of Foreign Office the complaints of American shippers that, notwithstanding [Page 398] the assurances given by the British Government with respect to goods forwarded by them to Netherlands Oversea Trust, such goods have been placed in the prize court. And while pointing out that, as this Government has already made known to the British Government, irrespective of what arrangements British Government may make with authorities of a neutral country or with private persons to extend their authority or operations into a neutral country, this Government must object to interference by British Government with property of its citizens in such country, you may inquire whether the British Government do not consider it fair to the shippers as well as expedient so far as the British Government themselves are concerned that, until the facts in each case have been examined, goods in the Netherlands should not be brought to England.