300.115(39)/35: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom ( Kennedy )

1320. Washington attorneys representing American Cotton Shippers Association, a national trade association of exporters of cotton, file protest regarding “the unreasonably long detention at Gibraltar of ships carrying American cotton to Mediterranean neutral ports.” Protest further reads:

“About twelve ships have been so detained and as the cotton carried is largely on a ‘cash on arrival’ basis, increased costs have been imposed on the members of this Association.

As an example, the Lykes Bros, ship, S. S. Oakman, has been detained for more than 10 days. It carries 10,300 bales of cotton for Barcelona shipped in accordance with arrangements between the Export-Import Bank and the Spanish Government, and 839 bales for Genoa, Italy. Apparently the only other cargo of this vessel was 2,000 tons of petroleum coke booked for Genoa long before the outbreak of the war.”

Communicate these facts to the appropriate British authorities and request full statement of the circumstances which they rely upon as justification for the action complained of.

Hull