740.00112 European War 1939/119
The French Ambassador (Saint-Quentin) to the Secretary of State
The Ambassador of France to the United States has the honor to advise His Excellency the Secretary of State that the Government of the French Republic is taking thought, in the course of the current hostilities, to spare as far as possible the legitimate interests of neutral commerce. However, it sees itself obliged to avail itself of the rights at sea recognized to belligerents. The exercise of such rights will moreover cause the less disturbance to bona fide navigation if the latter will be good enough to lend itself voluntarily to the indispensable operations.
Mr. de Saint-Quentin has the honor to indicate to the Honorable Cordell Hull the essential features of the provisions intended to put into effect the determination of the Government of the Republic to prevent contraband goods from reaching the enemy.
The list of the articles considered under the present circumstances as contraband has been made the subject of a modification by the French Government inserted in the Journal Officiel of Monday, September 4, 1939 (page 10,096). Measures have been adopted to facilitate the inspection of vessels in the ports of Brest, Sàte and Oran.32 Vessels bound for enemy territory or neutral ports, which do not have the intention of making a stop in another French or allied port, are urgently advised, in their own interest, to stop in whichever one of [Page 742] the three above-mentioned ports is most convenient for them (incorporated in one of the British inspection ports). The inspection of the said vessels will be conducted with all desirable celerity. When it has been shown that they are not transporting contraband of war they will receive a certificate which will facilitate the continuation of their voyage. Any vessel which should not voluntarily call would run the danger of being inspected subsequently and in case of need turned aside from its route in conditions less favorable for it.
The Government of the Republic will try in all cases to make the inspection of vessels as short as possible and, in particular, those which make voluntary calls for that purpose. Moreover, it pertains to the vessels concerned themselves to make the necessary operations as short as possible. The time of the control operations will be noticeably shortened if the vessels have complete papers in due form indicating without any ambiguity the exact nature of all the parts of their cargo, the names of the shippers, of the forwarding agents and the real consignees, the place of origin and the immediate as well as final destination of all the articles transported.
It is particularly recommended in this connection not to make use of bills of lading made out to order or drawn up in the name of a broker or forwarding agent, which would necessitate verifications which might involve delays. Some detailed plans of the loading of the cargo, as well as translations in French or English of the manifests and bills of lading would accelerate the execution of the control operations. In a general way vessels calling at French ports other than the control ports above mentioned will have to furnish to the French authorities the complete description not only of the goods which are to be unloaded, including goods in transit and for transshipment, but also of the goods remaining on board. The written declaration made to the French authorities of all the complete and true details concerning such goods—nature and quantity of each of the parts of the cargo—name of the shipper, the forwarding agent and the real consignee, place of origin, place of immediate, intermediate and final destination will permit vessels to avoid delays. French and allied vessels which might without knowing it transport contraband will be subject to inspection like neutral vessels.
The French Government moreover declares that it is ready at any time to give sympathetic consideration to suggestions which might be made to it by the neutral governments with a view to facilitating bona fide navigation by their nationals to such degree as is compatible with its right to prevent any contraband reaching the enemy.
Mr. de Saint-Quentin is happy to avail himself of this opportunity [Page 743] to renew to the Honorable Cordell Hull the assurances of his very high consideration.
- On September 29, 1939, the French Ambassador informed the Department that the port of Havre had been designed as a port of search instead of Brest, and Marseilles instead of Sète.↩