File No. 763.72111N83/7
The British Ambassador on Special Mission ( Reading) to the Secretary of State
[Received March 23.]
My Dear Mr. Secretary: You will no doubt have received from the American representative at Christiania a copy or translation of the note addressed by the Norwegian Government on the 9th instant to the representatives of the various powers at that capital. A translation of the note as received by cable at this Embassy is enclosed herewith for convenience of reference.1
His Majesty’s Government have been considering the terms of the reply which should be made to this communication, and are of opinion that the Norwegian note may possibly be open to the construction that the Norwegian Government would abandon the agreement with the United States if Germany should declare such an agreement unneutral, or that the Norwegian Government would not oppose Germany in the event of a German attack on Denmark or Sweden or if Germany were to sink all supply ships from this country. If the note were simply to be acknowledged this might be construed as committing [Page 1153] the British Government to an approval of the position taken up by the Norwegian Government, and the British Minister at Christiania has accordingly been instructed to acknowledge receipt of the note, and to add that His Majesty’s Government presume it to mean that the Norwegian Government will maintain not only their neutrality but also their rights as neutrals. It is thought that a reply in this sense should lead the Norwegian authorities to understand that they are expected not to yield to threats on the part of the German Government in connection with the agreement with the United States, and the reply would moreover, if published, give a lead in this direction to Norwegian public opinion. It would also be a matter of difficulty for the Norwegian Government to indicate, either expressly or tacitly, that they did not intend to maintain their rights.
I have received instructions from my Government to submit to you the above considerations and to suggest that, if you concur in the views expressed, it would be very desirable that the American Minister at Christiania should be instructed to reply to the Norwegian note in the sense proposed for the British reply. I may add that the French and Italian Governments are also being consulted on the subject, with a view to the return of a similar reply by the representatives of the four powers.
His Majesty’s Minister has also been instructed to act simultaneously with his Allied colleagues if he finds they are prepared to reply in identic terms to the Norwegian Government without undue delay, and I should therefore be grateful for the expression of the views of the United States Government as soon as you conveniently can.
I am [etc.]