811.20 (D) Regulations/2432
The Ambassador of the Soviet Union (Umansky) to the Secretary of State
Sir: I have the honor to bring to your attention the following:
On April 7, 1941, there arrived in the port of San Francisco from Montevideo, Uruguay, on board the S.S. Norseland, of Panamanian registry, a cargo of 2475 long tons of wool and 201 long tons of leather, purchased by the Soviet Economic Agency “Raznoexport” in Uruguay and Argentine, and intended for shipment to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Due to shipping difficulties, well known to the United States Government, this cargo was unloaded in the port of San Francisco, awaiting transshipment to Vladivostok. The loading of this cargo upon the S.S. Colombia of Swedish registry, [Page 748] chartered by the Amtorg Trading Corporation, New York City, began on May 4 and was completed on the evening of May 7, the scheduled date of departure of the ship for Vladivostok. In spite of the fact that an export declaration had been duly filed and accepted, the Collector of Customs of the port of San Francisco refused clearance papers for the vessel, which to date is still awaiting such clearance.
The Collector of Customs referred in this connection to a telegram from the Secretary of State advising him that export licenses will be required for in-transit shipments pursuant to an Executive Order signed by the President of the United States on May 6, 1941.52
I learned in the morning hours of May 8 of the denial of clearance for the S.S. Colombia and on the same morning became acquainted with the text of the President’s Executive Order as published in the Federal Register of May 8. I immediately approached the Assistant Secretary of State, Mr. Acheson, with a request that the Department of State withdraw its objection against the clearance of the said ship, inasmuch as the goods in question had been purchased in South America and were transshipped in the port of San Francisco only because of shipping difficulties, and that the loading of these goods had been started and completed prior to the publication of the President’s Executive Order. I regret to state that Mr. Acheson gave me on the same day of May 8 a negative response to this request, referring to what he considered to be the needs of the national defense of the United States for these in-transit goods purchased in South America and belonging to Soviet organizations.
I am authorized to state that the action of the American authorities, coming after a long series of similar measures prejudicial to the rights and interests of the Soviet Union, can be considered by my Government only as the manifestation of a hostile attitude toward the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and as evidence that the Government of the United States is moving toward the complete interruption of trade relations with the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
I am directed to state that my Government will draw all necessary conclusions from this attitude on the part of the Government of the United States.
Accept [etc.]
- Executive Order No. 8752 (6 Federal Register 2333) amending Executive Order No. 8712 of March 15, 1941 (6 Federal Register 1501).↩