File No. 658.119/159a
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Great Britain ( Page )
6103. For Gunther from War Trade Board:
Reply to your cable 16th1 delayed awaiting arrival of McCormick, Taylor. Total Swedish tonnage is 1,300,000 dead-weight of which they need for trade Sweden to Great Britain and America about 250,000 tons. We must insist on balance being divided 50–50 with British. French should clearly understand that this does not mean that the 50 per cent which we control will not be partly allocated to them where their needs prove more urgent than any of the other Allies. Of the quantity to be chartered to the Shipping Board one-third to be in safe trades and two-thirds in transatlantic trade. Rates in transatlantic to be same as inter-Allied chartering rates under Norwegian agreement and in West Indian and South American trades to be that of American Chartering Committee.