Discussions in connection with the American mission to the Inter-Allied Conference—Negotiations with the Danish and Norwegian representatives at Washington—The Scandinavian conference, November 28–301

1. See also the report of the Special Representative of the War Trade Board. Vol. I, p. 400.

[In despatch No. 7889, January 1, 1918, from the Ambassador in Great Britain (File No. 763.72/8534), is enclosed a list of proposed rations for Sweden, with notes regarding certain items, drawn up November 6, 1917, “at a conference … between representatives of the U. S. A., France, and the United Kingdom.” Note 1 reads in part:

Doctor Taylor explained that America would be prepared to allow Sweden to import cereals in the form of rye, wheat, rice or oats, in order to supplement home supplies to such an extent as would permit of a per caput ration (assuming Swedish population to be 6,700,000 persons) equivalent to 250 grams of flour per diem (or 300 grams if negotiations terminated very satisfactorily).

In order to determine how far Swedish supplies would contribute towards this ration American representatives would make an estimate pf the Swedish crops and regard as contributing to the ration: the whole of the wheat crop, milled to 80 per cent; the whole of the rye crop, milled to 70 per cent; half of the barley crop, milled to 70 per cent.

Sweden would be expected to import her cereals, other than rice, mainly from the Argentine.

In telegram to the Ambassador in Great Britain, No. 7784, May 17, 1918, for Sheldon, No. 505 (File No. 658.119/378c), Captain Dulles of the War Trade Board states:

At the conference held in London on the 6th of November between the representatives of the War Trade Board and the French and British Blockade Committees it was agreed as an act of policy with respect to cereals for human and animal consumption that Sweden under normal conditions was a self-supporting country in war time; that in consideration of crop failure she should be permitted to import cereals to supplement home supplies up to an agreed ration, the milling of the grain to be controlled and the sustenance of the livestock determined by the need for meat and dairy products.]


[219] The Minister in Denmark ( Egan) to the Secretary of State

File No. 763.72/8013