Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, 1916, Supplement, The World War

File No. 300.115/11400

The Consul General at London (Skinner) to the Secretary of State

No. 3474

London, January 17, 1917 .
[Received January 30.]

Sir: Referring to the Department’s No. 1507¹ of November 10, 1916, directing me to report any additional information tending to show that German needles were being allowed to be imported into this country, I have the honor to state that I have now obtained official confirmation that German needles, in fact, have been imported into the United Kingdom with the consent of the Government.

In the Case of S. S. United States Curtin-Hebert Company—the claimants requested me to effect, if possible, the release of certain needles which they had purchased in Germany. The matter was duly taken up with the Procurator General, who declined to release the consignment, but stated, at the same time, that British firms in the past had been permitted to import certain needles of German manufacture. The Procurator General stated that licenses for importations of this kind had always been restricted to certain limited classes which were not procurable elsewhere, and he declined to grant a release to the Curtin-Hebert Company on the ground that their particular needles were not of the special class which had been imported into the United Kingdom from Germany. I am enclosing herewith a copy of the Procurator General’s letter of January 15, which will enable the Department to follow this matter up, if it is desired to do so.

I have [etc.]

Robert P. Skinner

[Enclosure]

The British Procurator General (Mellor) to the American Consul General at London (Skinner)

London, January 15, 1917 .

Sir: I am directed by H. M. Procurator General to refer to your letters of the 26th October and 6th January, and to say that you appear to be under a misapprehension as to the extent to which British firms have in the past been permitted to import needles of German origin. Licences for importations of this kind have always been severely restricted to certain limited classes, which were not procurable elsewhere. Had needles of this particular class been stopped by His Majesty’s Government, while on passage to the United States of America, the observations in your letter under reply might have been well founded, but an examination of the contents of the parcels seized in this vessel shows that the needles are not of the special class referred to, but are ordinary machine needles, in respect of which no concession has been made to persons’ in this country.

The action taken by His Majesty’s Government in this case does not, therefore, appear to be in any way inconsistent with the practice followed in this country, and the case does not, therefore, call for special treatment.

I am [etc.]

R. W. Woods

1. Ante, p. 575.