File No. 600.119/503
The Ambassador in Great Britain ( Page) to the Secretary of State
[Received February 5, 1.47 a.m.]
8498. War Trade Board [from Sheldon]:
No. 101. Refer your No. 49, our Nos. 52 and 37, and yours of January 10.1 Embassy is still without reply from Foreign Office on abolition navicerts. I have had further informal talks and am led to believe that their reply will be in accordance with the plan in your telegram of January 10, with the proviso that should War Trade Board desire issue a license against the rulings of the Contraband Committee, your board will not take such action until the matter has been made the subject of diplomatic correspondence, the idea being, I learn, that should a license be granted by you against the express wish of the Contraband Committee the circumstances might be such that a protest would be lodged by His Majesty’s or one of the other Allied Governments and it would be preferable that this protest should be made before the fait accompli of an issued license rather than thereafter. The Foreign Office is of the opinion, however, that the number of such cases would be so small as to render such proviso practically negligible. I am informed that Cecil, Leverton Harris and other officials approve of the constitution of an inter-Allied blockade committee which would have the final decision on such matters and that your plan, with the proviso above mentioned, is satisfactory as a temporary means until such inter-Allied blockade committee should be constituted which, I am glad [Page 956] to note from your No. 49, is contemplated by you. Am inclined attach less importance to the export of commodities from Great Britain to Holland mentioned in my No. 37 than I previously did, owing to the practical cessation of such exports in December and as the reasons given for the November exports seem reasonable.
Referring to Department’s cable to Embassy, No. 6385, January 29,1 Embassy has taken the matter up with the Foreign Office and I believe from informal discussion that the plans for Greece will be entirely satisfactory.