File No. 600.119/549
The Secretary of State to the Italian Ambassador (Macchi di Cellere)
The Secretary of State presents his compliments to His Excellency the Italian Ambassador and has the honor to acknowledge the receipt of the Italian Embassy’s memorandum of February 211 in which it is pointed out that, in the matter of the negotiations between the Allies and the Scandinavian countries (Norway, Sweden and Denmark) and the Netherlands, the Government of Great Britain has proposed that the existing embargo imposed upon all exports to the above named countries be lifted for certain categories of goods which are not of interest in the prosecution of the war, while on the other hand their exportation might exercise a favorable action upon the exchanges.
The memorandum states that the Italian Government will greatly appreciate the giving of careful consideration to this matter and suggests the advisability of consenting to the proposal made by the British Government for the better interest of all parties concerned.
The matter has been under consideration by the War Trade Board and on February 18 that Board decided to relax the embargo as to “non-essentials” so far as Sweden and the Netherlands are concerned on and after February 20, 1918. This follows the British suggestions. The War Trade Board, however, does not consider it expedient just at this time to relax the existing embargo so far as Norway and Denmark are concerned.
Should the Board decide later on any further relaxation of the embargo, the Secretary of State will take great pleasure in advising the Italian Ambassador.
- Not printed.↩