File No. 600.119/1603

The Chargé in Great Britain ( Laughlin) to the Secretary of State

[Telegram]

3318. War Trade Board [from Sheldon]:

No. 1786. Referring to your 1495, Department’s 2434 of 26th.2 Allied Maritime Transport Council write me as follows:

Supplementing my letter of 24th, the Allied Maritime Transport Council considers that the question of allowing sailing ships bound for northern neutrals sailing under German safe conducts to carry cargoes of food stuffs and mineral oil is one to be determined by the naval authorities. The Transport Council will agree to any recommendations in this matter made by the naval authorities. The War Trade Board cable No. 14383 is not entirely clear to me. The intention of this letter is to cover all questions presented in that cable with regard to permitting sailing ships to proceed from America. The Council regards all these questions as questions to be determined by the naval authorities.

Admiral Sims writes as follows under November 1:

With respect to the advisability of allowing sailing ships and motor sailing ships bound for northern neutrals sailing under German safe conducts and carrying cargoes of foodstuffs and mineral oil, no objection is seen by the naval authorities to these vessels proceeding with cargoes of foodstuffs and mineral oil and coal respectively to their proposed destinations.

The foregoing statement from Sims does not cover the specific case of sailers proceeding to Cette for Switzerland nor to ports of our cobelligerents. I will try to obtain a further statement from Sims shortly.

Laughlin
  1. Not printed.
  2. Ante, p. 1005.