File No. 600.119/488a
The Acting Secretary of State to the Consul at Barcelona ( Hurst)2
[Telegram]
Washington,
January 19, 1918.
War Trade Board states that in consideration of bunker and ship’s stores licenses, which have been granted to various steamers of Compañía Transatlántica and Pinillos Line, and as an aid to avoid possible future delay, both lines have agreed to adopt all such safeguards as will protect United States Government, and in particular have agreed to following with respect to every vessel under their control:
- (1)
- As to our searching vessels at any United States ports or possessions in any way we desire;
- (2)
- Permit our sending two representatives on voyages whenever desired, giving them first-class fare and accommodation equivalent to that furnished masters and officers, the masters keeping such representatives thoroughly informed always regarding all matters respecting destination, intended loading and discharging of all cargo, bunker fuel, ship’s stores, vessel’s equipment or supplies of any kind;
- (3)
- To carry no cargo excepting as approved by Bureau of Exports, War Trade Board, who will send you separate instructions;
- (4)
- Masters upon arrival each port, whether United States or foreign, will deliver to you complete manifest all cargo intending to load or discharge your port, copies of all agreements with this Government, and won’t load or discharge any cargo, bunker fuel, ship’s stores, vessel’s equipment or supplies of any kind, until authorized by you, and will allow you to take any reasonable steps to satisfy yourself all agreements with this Government are fulfilled, and will allow you to supervise all such loading and discharging.
Further instructions will follow.
Repeat to Valencia, Malaga, Cadiz.
Polk
- The same, except last sentence, to consuls in other ports served by the steamship lines mentioned in the telegram; see last paragraph for instruction to repeat to the consuls at Valencia, Malaga, and Cadiz.↩