File No. 763.72112Sa/63b
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Great Britain ( Page)
1196. Your 1589, September 3, 5 p.m.
Department has to-day cabled Legation at Stockholm as follows:
You are instructed to present the following note to the Government to which you are accredited:
The United States Government is reliably informed that the German Government now is attempting to control neutral shipping generally through a new device improperly termed a “safe conduct,” which constitutes in fact but a threat of illegal condemnation or destruction unless German control is accepted. Such control would extend to Germany’s supervision of the personnel of passengers and crew, the character and consignment of cargo, mails, etc., and the movements of the vessel itself. The United States Government observes that such control may operate to deprive vessels accepting the same of their neutral character, and the United States Government accordingly reserves the right to deal with any vessel which has subjected itself to enemy control as the circumstances in each case may warrant. The attention of the Royal Swedish Government is invited by the Government of the United States to the fact that apart from the general results of the acceptance of such control affecting the status of Swedish shipping, the acceptance in the specific case of Sweden would be contrary to the Swedish agreement signed on May 29 last in so far as it would tend to nullify its effect and to impede the exportation to the Associated Governments of manufactures from or with the aid of materials whose importation through the blockade is permitted for the specific purpose of the return of the finished article.
Department is informed that Governments of Great Britain, France and Italy are instructing their ministers to present similar notes. You will therefore confer with your Allied colleagues with a view to arranging a simultaneous presentation of the notes. No publicity should be given to the form or purport of the above communication.
Missions at Madrid, Christiania, Copenhagen, and The Hague will receive text of above note minus reference to violation of Swedish [Page 1104] agreement, together with authorization to read it to Minister of Foreign Affairs after consultation with Allied representatives, so as to secure, if possible, concurrent action. In case of Spain, exercise of authorization is subject to discretion of Ambassador. All above-named missions have been instructed that note is not to receive any publicity.1