File No. 600.119/3050
The Commercial Adviser of the British Embassy ( Crawford) to the Counselor for the Department of State ( Polk)
[Received January 18.]
My Dear Polk: With reference to our conversation of yesterday, the following is the substance of a telegram from the Foreign Office in answer to one which we sent, enquiring as to their views on the question of the form which any agreements that are eventually concluded with the northern neutrals should take.
Part of the arrangement consists of undertakings respecting the control of exports from neutral countries which only neutral governments themselves can fulfil. Moreover, our experience has convinced us that unless neutral governments are themselves bound we can not rely on their not interfering with private associations in a way which prevents the latter from carrying out their undertakings to us. This has markedly been the case as regards Holland and we have already intimated to the Dutch delegates that we shall have to insist on a form of agreement by which responsibility for their Government is definitely engaged. If the United States Government, in order to avoid delay and other difficulties involved in reference to Senate, are reluctant to conclude formal agreement having character of a convention, we would suggest that England, France and Italy should conclude it with the Netherlands Government and that the United States Government should then by a mere note from the State Department express their endorsement or approval of its stipulations. This would probably satisfy the Dutch.
The same procedure may prove applicable to Sweden.
As regards Norway and Denmark, difficulty arises that the United States Government are themselves conducting the negotiations at Washington. Perhaps this difficulty could be overcome by the United States Government concluding an agreement with the Norwegian and Danish Governments in very general terms, only leaving all details to be negotiated by all the Allies with several private associations at Christiania and Copenhagen on analogy of those which we had formally concluded.
I understand that the French and Italian Blockade representatives in London have expressed general agreement with the terms of this telegram although the French suggest for your consideration that the form of the Swiss-American agreement might prove a useful precedent for further agreements.
Yours very truly,