Office of the Historian

857.0011/54a: Telegram

The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Kennedy)28

Washington, July 24, 1940—5 p.m.

2001. 1. The United States Army troop ship American Legion is being sent to Petsamo, Finland for the purpose of repatriating American citizens.29 The vessel will leave New York at 2 p.m. Standard Time, Thursday, July 25, and is expected to arrive at Petsamo about August 6, 1940.

2. The vessel will proceed to Petsamo on the following course: [Page 144]

(1)
Ambrose Lighthouse to Nantucket Lighthouse: Latitude 40—10 north, Longitude 70—00 west
(2)
Nantucket to Cape Race: Latitude 46—30 north, Longitude 53—00 west
(3)
Cape Race to Iceland: Latitude 65—05 north, Longitude 13—05 west
(4)
Iceland to North Cape: Latitude 71—50 north, Longitude 24—00 east.

3. The identification of the American Legion, which is unarmed and moving without convoy, is as follows: The ship is white; 535 feet long; 72 feet beam. Height from water to flying bridge 69 feet. Flush deck forward and aft; each has 2 sets of high king posts abreast. Smoke-stack of black; top bound with red, white and blue stripes. Has one island deckhouse on poop deck. Large deckhouse amidship. American Flag on both sides of the ship centrally located, and lit up at night. American Flag on stern end of ship also lit up at night. Standard speed of ship 16 knots.

4. The Government of the United States expects this vessel to proceed on its journey and to return without interruption or molestation by the air, naval or military forces of any belligerent.

5. You will please notify the Government to which you are accredited accordingly. Inform Department triple priority when notification given.

Welles

  1. Sent on the same date to the Ambassadors in France (No. 140) and Italy (No. 330) and the Chargé in Germany (No. 2037).

    The following instruction was added to No. 2001 to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom: “Please notify also the Netherlands, Belgian, Polish and Norwegian Governments.”

    ↩
  2. For additional correspondence regarding the trip of the S. S. American Legion to Petsamo, see vol. i , section I under Extension of the European War, entitled “Invasion of Norway and Denmark by Germany.”↩