300.115(39)/338: Telegram
The Chargé in the United Kingdom (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 19—11:23 a.m.]
2663. Department’s 1623, 16th. The British Ministry of Economic Warfare maintain stoutly that they released the Nishmaha on December 14th and that the trouble lies with the authorities at Marseilles. I have telephoned twice to American Embassy at Paris asking them to investigate with French authorities and am awaiting reply to call made yesterday.89 The real difficulty apparently is a failure of coordination between British and French authorities in regard to authorization to release the vessel at Marseilles and failure to agree regarding jurisdiction over the cargo when declared seized. The British Ministry admit orally that “the practice got ahead of the theory” in stating as they did to us that representations regarding seized cargo [Page 816] must be made to Attorney General at Gibraltar. They have withdrawn that statement and advise that the question of jurisdiction of seized cargo is under consideration and that we will be advised as soon as it is determined. In the meantime the British Ministry of Economic Warfare profess to be doing everything possible to straighten the matter out with the French and release the vessel.
- The reply from Paris, December 19, stated that the Nishmaha was free to sail but was being held up by port conditions and weather only (300.115(39)/342).↩