740.00112 European War 1939/281: Telegram
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Chief of the Division of European Affairs (Moffat)
Baron de Gruben, Counselor of the Belgian Embassy, telephoned this morning to say that the Embassy had received a direct query from Brussels as to whether the United States was going to take the initiative in the matter of a “sea lane” to Belgium and Holland.
I replied that if by “sea lane” they meant a physical channel, I thought the more experts looked into it, the more difficulties were found. If by “sea lane” they meant keeping commerce open between the United States and Belgium, he could reply that the United States was as interested as ever in the maintenance of bona fide neutral trade between one neutral and the other if for the latter’s own use. This was implicit in the statement which Mr. Hickerson had handed him under instructions of the Secretary of State.48 As to shipping questions, it was obvious that the Executive could not finally determine its position pending the conclusion of the debates on the neutrality bill.