File No. 763.72111N83/50
The Minister in Norway ( Schmedeman) to the Secretary of State
[Received March 31, 1.46 a.m.]
624. My telegram No. 576, March 9, 7 p.m. French, British and Italian Ministers here have received instructions to acknowledge note of March 9 from Norwegian Minister for Foreign Affairs and in doing so to state that their respective Governments regard said note as signifying “that the Norwegian Government will not only maintain its neutrality but also its rights as a neutral.”
My Allied colleagues are deferring carrying out their instructions until I am authorized to take similar action. I [acknowledged] the receipt of the Norwegian note without comment on March 18.