War Trade Board Files: American-Norwegian Agreement, Vol. II
The Norwegian Minister on Special Mission ( Nansen ) to the Chairman, of the War Trade Board ( McCormick )
Sir: In my note of the 12th inst., I stated that I would later revert to certain paragraphs in the War Trade Board’s draft, as my Government’s telegram concerning these [was] not clear, owing to evident errors in transmission, and I had therefore to ask for further information. I have now received new telegrams from my Government concerning these paragraphs and am thus able to give you their view concerning same.
Article II, §2
My Government are willing to furnish the required statistics for stocks, provided that this stipulation refers to imported articles.
Article II, §§ 5 and 6
My Government take it for granted that the stipulations in these paragraphs do not refer to the various kinds of implements, machines, etc., imported prior to the date of the proposed agreement, except all such articles for which valid declarations have been given, to the effect that they shall not be used in any way for the benefit of the enemies of the Allies.
With regard to the stipulation in the middle of §6 stating that “nor shall any commodities which such articles so exported may serve to release be exported to Germany or her allies”, my Government point out that this is a new addition upon which there is no previous agreement. On one occasion during our conferences with Mr. Jones and Mr. White, we discussed a question of this kind referring to the export of chrome to Sweden. It was then pointed [Page 1163] out that the United States would require for exports of this kind to neutrals a guarantee that such articles should not directly or indirectly be reexported to Germany or her allies. Upon our question what indirectly implied it was answered that this meant that the articles in question must not reach the enemy by circumvention of any kind, but it did not refer to any articles that might be released by any imported articles. I cabled to my Government accordingly, and the reference to this point in your note of December 191 where the expressions “directly” and “indirectly” were used, was consequently interpreted in the same manner.
Believe me,
Very truly yours,
- See telegram No. 6082 of Dec. 20, 1917, to the Ambassador in Great Britain, Foreign Relations, 1917, Supplement 2, vol. II, pp. 1087–1091.↩