File No. 656.119/433
The Secretary of State to the Netherland Chargé ( De Beaufort)
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of April 27, in which you give renewed expression to the desire of the Netherlands Government to secure from the Government of the United States unqualified assurances against any future seizure of ships flying the Netherlands flag.
The Government of the United States is glad to be able to give to the Netherlands Government the assurance that from March 21, no Netherlands ship will be requisitioned in a port of the United States and to declare that at the present time the thought of such action against any ship flying the Netherlands flag is not even entertained by this Government. None the less the Government of the United States would be found wanting in candour towards the Netherlands Government should it fail to point out that, while such an eventuality is indeed difficult to imagine, it is yet conceivable that the United States might in the future be confronted by a military situation of such gravity as would compel this Government once more to exercise the undoubted right which pertains to its sovereign authority to requisition Netherlands vessels within its jurisdiction.
Accept [etc.]