740.00112 European War 1939/850: Telegram
The Chargé in the United Kingdom (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 27—3:29 p.m.]
2730. Your 1670 [1626], December 16, 5 p.m., was immediately taken up in writing with the proper authorities of the Ministry of [Page 793] Economic Warfare and the following reply dated December 25 has been received:
“In your letter of the 19th of December you were good enough to ask me to give you an official statement of policy and proposed practice in regard to matters arising out of the Order-in-Council published on the 28th November last.
So far as I can give them the answers to the specific questions you put to me are as follows:
- 1.
- Applications for exemption from the provisions of the Order-in-Council in certain circumstances will be entertained and if granted an assurance will be given that the consignment concerned will not be interfered with.
- 2.
- Such exemptions will only be given in very exceptional circumstances. It is not possible to define the facts on which an exception may be made because, as you will appreciate, this will depend on the particular circumstances of each case. When, however, any application for exemption is made the fullest possible information should be supplied, including in particular all details of the shipment desired, together with the names and addresses of consignor and consignee, the origin of the goods, the contract under which they were purchased, dates on which payment therefor is due, and the dates on which any payments therefor have been made.
- 3.
- All such applications should be addressed to the Ministry of Economic Warfare with any further documentary evidence that is available. It is not necessary to state how long a period of time is likely to elapse before decisions will be made in regard to individual shipments, but every effort will be made in this Department to minimize delay.
- 4.
- The nature of any assurance given, in cases where an exemption is granted, will be a communication to that effect made to the applicant. In such cases the necessary instructions will be given to all the naval and customs authorities concerned.”