The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Great Britain ( Page )
3996. Your 5023, October 16, 1 p. m. Notwithstanding discrepancy between statements made in paragraph 3 your 30401 of February 11 and the Foreign Office’s note therewith transmitted, Department believes general facts of the case support Mr. Stabler’s version of the understanding arrived at whereby individual permits for beet seed aggregating 140,300 bags were to be required in replacement of [Page 540] former method of indiscriminate shipments up to same amount. That Mr. Stabler would have volunteered a request for cancellation of all outstanding permits in February without substitution of some equally advantageous arrangement does not seem entirely reasonable. The permits specified in Foreign Office’s note were apparently granted in extension of new arrangement, and Department is unable to consider old undertaking whereby uninterrupted shipment of beet seed equal to normal requirements this country is permitted, as annulled by arrangement indicated. Michigan Sugar Company has 10,215 bags and Charles W. DeRekowski 10,000 bags bought and paid for now awaiting shipment at Rotterdam and are deteriorating. Need of this seed by planters for December planting very urgent and Department trusts that British Government will recognize old undertaking as independent of submission to Allied Governments and issue permits in cases specified without further delay. Department is unwilling to believe that British Government would jeopardize the American beet-sugar industry by restrictive practices which cause little injury to its enemies but do serious harm to this country. You are instructed to bring these observations unofficially to notice of Foreign Office and to use your most earnest endeavors to have shipments indicated authorized without further delay.