File No. 656.119/262a

The Secretary of State to the Chargé in Chile ( DeBillier)2

[Telegram]

The Government of the United States intends to assign to the trade between the United States and the country to which you are accredited [Page 1793] some of the Dutch ships recently taken over by this Government and to be operated under complete control of the United States Shipping Board and to be manned by civil employees of this Government.

In order to avoid the possibility that these vessels might be libeled or otherwise drawn into litigation upon arrival in Chile, by Dutch subjects or other persons claiming title or interest in them, with resulting delay or loss of use of the ships, the Government of the United States considers it advisable before putting these ships into this important and essential trade, to obtain such assurances as may be possible from the Government to which you are accredited that if litigation is instituted the vessels will not be delayed or held on that account, but will be released without bail if possible. Will any distinction be made between these vessels and those referred to in Department’s October 6, 5 p.m.,1 and your despatch No. 247, October 12, 19172?

Report at earliest moment by cable.

Lansing
  1. The same, mutatis mutandis, except for next to last sentence, on the same date, to the Ambassador in Argentina and the Ministers in Peru and Uruguay.
  2. Foreign Relations, 1917, Supplement 2, vol. II, p. 1261.
  3. Not printed; see telegram of Oct. 11, ibid., p. 1262.