File No. 763.72112/3437
The Ambassador in Great Britain (
Page) to the
Secretary of State
No. 5901
London,
March 7, 1917.
[Received March 26.]
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the
receipt of the Department’s telegraphic instructions No. 4400 of
February 5, directing me to present to the British authorities an urgent
request, independently of all previous representations, with a view to
obtaining prompt action regarding a general ruling upon all applications
now pending for American-owned merchandise detained in Rotterdam
awaiting safe-sea assurance.
In accordance with the Department’s instructions I submitted to the
Foreign Office such a request as above outlined, and I now have the
honor to transmit herewith for the consideration of the Department a
copy of the note, dated the 5th instant, which I have received from the
Foreign Office in response to my representations in the premises.
I have [etc.]
[Page 511]
[Enclosure]
The British Secretary of State for Foreign
Affairs (
Balfour) to
the American Ambassador (
Page)
No. 35125/C
London,
March 5, 1917.
Your Excellency: I have given careful
consideration to the note which your excellency was good enough to
address to me on the 12th ultimo (No. 2954) representing to me the
desire of certain American firms to obtain permits from His
Majesty’s Government to enable them to ship from Rotterdam goods
contracted for and purchased by them.
- 2.
- I have assumed that the goods in respect of which facilities
are desired have originated in countries with which His
Majesty’s Government are at war, although your excellency’s note
does not contain any explicit statement to that effect, as in
any other event His Majesty’s Government would not presumably be
expected to offer any special facilities.
- 3.
- Without certain further particulars in regard to the exact
scope of the request now made by your Government, and in regard
to the actual circumstances which have prompted it, His
Majesty’s Government find it difficult to formulate any definite
reply to your excellency’s enquiry.
- 4.
- The request, as His Majesty’s Government understand it, is
that they should make a general statement of the policy which
they intend to follow in regard to goods of enemy origin
destined for the United States of America and now awaiting
opportunity of shipment, and there appears to be a suggestion
that this policy should be framed with a view to allowing the
shipment of all such goods. The motives for the request are
stated to be the changed conditions which have lately come about
in the shipping situation and the loss which further delay in
the shipment of these goods would put upon the American firms
concerned.
- 5.
- If the object of the communication which your excellency has
made by instructions of your Government is in fact as suggested
above, your excellency will doubtless understand that a question
of considerable importance would be raised which would demand
the most careful consideration on the part of His Majesty’s
Government, and before proceeding to examine the matter in
detail they would be glad to be assured that they have rightly
understood the intention of the United States Government.
- 6.
- I have the honour therefore to request that your excellency
will be so good as to furnish me with an exact statement of the
points in regard to which the United States Government desire
that His Majesty’s Government should give a general ruling or
statement, and it would perhaps assist them in considering the
matter in all its aspects
[Page 512]
if an indication could be given of the
manner in which the present shipping conditions are held to have
affected the situation.
I have [etc.]
For the Secretary of State:
Victor Wellesley
