File No. 763.72112/2967
The Consul General at London (Skinner) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 13.]
Exporters of fresh apples intended for Scandinavian countries will be gratified to know that shipments addressed to acceptable consignees are not now subject to interference, but it is not proposed by the British authorities to dispense with letters of assurance as issued by the British Embassy in Washington on this account. Some complaint has been made that although shipping space can often be secured for apples on short notice, it requires as much as two weeks to secure the necessary letters of assurance, but it is thought in London official circles that the delay in obtaining letters of assurance can scarcely be as great as that. They state, on the contrary, that if goods are not open to objection applications are dealt with very quickly in London in spite of a very heavy rush of applications.
While it is reasonably certain that consignments of fresh apples intended for Scandinavia will not be subject to any special limitations [Page 505] as to quantities, it is quite certain that consignments addressed to blacklisted firms will not be allowed, and great care should be exercised in selecting consignees.