763.72113/2231
The Danish Minister ( Brun ) to the Secretary of State
No. 14
Sir: Referring to previous correspondence concerning compensation for German merchant vessels seized by the United States during the world war and belonging to residents of North Slesvig, who later became citizens of Denmark, lastly the note from your Department of January 28, 1928,13 I beg to state as follows:
It appears from the enclosed Report No. 273 from the Committee on Finance of the United States Senate,13 with regard to the bill H. R. 7201, that under Section 19 an amendment has now been adopted by the Committee granting compensation to the owners of the two vessels Carl Diederichsen and Johanne within certain limits and under certain conditions. This however does not seem to accord the full and unqualified compensation to which the Danish owners seem to be entitled and which I took the liberty to claim by my note to you of January 23, 1928. I also beg to observe that Danish claims exist not only with regard to the two named vessels, but also with regard to the S/S Maja, of Flensborg, which was seized in New York harbor in April 1917. These claims were laid before your Department by my notes of July 20, 1921 and August 18, 1921,14 on behalf of respectively Mr. Harald Smith (Romø) for a share equal to 1/60 or Mark 5000.–, and Mr. J. C. Poulsen for two shares equal to 2/120 and 3/60 in the said steamship, see the notes from your Department of August 29, 1921 and September 14, 1921.14
And of course there is a possibility of further similar Danish claims, which have not yet come to the notice of this Legation.
For this reason I did not specify the vessels Carl Diederichsen and Johanne in my note to you of January 23rd, which on the contrary was intended to cover all such cases.
In these circumstances I beg to suggest that the attention of the Committee of the Senate should be called to my present note, in order [Page 467] that the amendment may be so worded as to cover all Danish claims of this order and grant full and unconditional compensation, if deemed proper.
I have [etc.]