860c.56/73: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Minister in Poland (Gibson)
23. Your 64, March 24, noon.5
Rossbottom6 has furnished the Department with a copy of the concession offered United States Lines by Polish Government, together with copy of modifications proposed by Keena.5 In letter5 transmitting these copies he states that he understands that under the terms of the agreement between the Red Star Line and the Polish Government, which is reported to run for one more year, the Red Star secures its Polish passengers by rail transportation from Poland to Antwerp and that the Red Star does not operate any service to [Page 744] or from Danzig. He states further that in his opinion American lines are justified in asking the Polish Government for the same kind of a concession as that under which the Red Star is at present engaged in handling Polish-American traffic and that negotiations regarding the license should take place at Warsaw. The Department concurs in this view and you should, upon the request of Richardson,8 urge the Polish authorities to grant to the United States Lines the same treatment respecting the Polish-American traffic as that enjoyed by the Red Star Line.
You can be assured that you will have the Department’s support in all representations made by you in behalf of the Lines’ license in which you seek to obtain for them treatment equally as favorable as that accorded to any foreign line.
Please report telegraphically concerning present status of negotiations.