File No. 411.57N83/106
[Enclosure—Draft telegram]
The British Embassy at
Washington to the Foreign
Office
Washington,
November 24,
1917.
We have discussed the question of Norwegian shipping with
Shipping Board and State Department. They represented on behalf
of the United States Government that in their opinion there
should be equal division of the control and distribution of the
tonnage between the United States and His Majesty’s Government.
In order to give effect to these representations as far as
possible under existing conditions we have agreed to submit a
draft understanding on the following lines for your
approval.
1. Ships on time charter to United States citizens and ships
operating between the United States and South America on the
Caribbean to be taken on time charter by the United States
Shipping Board.
2. Ships on charter to British subjects to remain at the disposal
of the British Government.
3. Ships now in the service of France and Italy to be reallocated
to such service on the expiry of their present engagements if
the war situation so requires.
[Page 640]
4. Any balance over and above the ships retained by Norway for
her own requirements to be allocated to war services as may be
agreed between the I[nter]-A[llied] C[hartering] E[xecutive] and
the United States Shipping Board.
For all the above purposes Great Britain and the United States
shall have an equal voice in all decisions relating to
employment of ships, without prejudice to the rights of France
and Italy. For this purpose the United States Government will
appoint a representative to attend all meetings of the I.A.C.E.
in London and the British Government will maintain a
representative at Washington for purposes of consultation with
the United States Shipping Board.
The general principles laid down in your telegram No. — are
accepted as a basis for these decisions subject to such
modification in form as may be hereafter agreed.
Royden and we agree that the above is the most satisfactory
arrangement that can be made in all the circumstances and we
hope that you will see your way to inform us by telegraph of
your approval.
[For a statement in the War Trade Board’s letter to the Danish
Minister, November 27, 1917, which “was written after long
consultation with the British and French representatives here
and has their approval,” that, after providing for various
allocations of Danish tonnage, “any surplus shall be divided
half and half between the United States and Great Britain,” see
Volume II, page
1074.
For a statement by the Commercial Adviser of the British Embassy,
received November 30, 1917, that his Government’s policy was
“Swedish tonnage to be obtained as in the case of Denmark, to be
shared on an equal basis by the I[nter]-A[llied] C[hartering]
E[xecutive] and the Shipping Board,” see Volume II, page
1078.]
