800.8830 Brazil/112: Airgram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Brazil (Caffery)
A–674. Embassy’s 5384, December 17, 1942, 11 p.m.; and 5407, December 18, 1942, 11 p.m.; and Department’s 3935, December 15, 1942.49
Three shipments of newsprint have left during the last month, 1385 tons on the Sea Serpent, the steamer mentioned in Department’s 3935, 247 tons on the Anita, which left on or about December 3, 1942, and 198 tons on the Moormacrey, which left at the same time. However, nine ships are scheduled to sail between now and January 3, 1943 carrying a total of 3639 tons divided as follows: consigned to customers of Murray Simonsen, 1385; Anglo Brasileira, 755; T. Janer, 1065; and miscellaneous, 434. This constitutes a revision from the schedule outlined in Department’s 3935 and includes newsprint from St. Maurice Valley consigned to Anglo Brasileira, of which some is presumably for O Globo. Due to the critical shipping situation and the curtailment of space, the Department instructed the Embassy in telegram 2496, August 29, 1942 and 3083, October 14, 1942 to submit a recommendation as to the distribution of 3500 tons for November and December, 1942 and 3,000 tons thereafter to various consignees, and the Embassy submitted recommendations in various telegrams, the last of which, no. 4840, November 18, 1942, 8 p.m.,50 requesting distribution among three consignees the total figure of which was altered in Embassy’s 4915, November 23, 1942.50 The Board of Economic Warfare has continued to cooperate with the Department in approving applications for freight space for newsprint in accordance with Embassy’s recommendations and to certify the applications to the War Shipping Administration as eligible for shipment. However, after the War Shipping Administration publishes the list of approved applications for freight space as eligible for shipment, it is then incumbent upon the shippers or the importers’ agents themselves to make the necessary contracts with the steamship operators for the actual freight space on board vessels. (See Comprehensive Export Control Schedule No. 10, page 118, paragraph 13.) With respect to newsprint, the Embassy will note that newsprint was placed under general license on October 9, 1942 and to ship newsprint all that was required was an approved application for freight space.
Apparently, it is the Embassy’s impression that the Department actually allocates shipping space, and this misapprehension has resulted in the exchange of numerous telegrams and a great deal of [Page 755] confusion on the subject of newsprint shipments. As stated above, the Department has nothing to do whatsoever with the actual loading of ships. The Department merely attempts to expedite the approval, by the appropriate agencies charged with shipping, of the necessary applications for freight space. When these applications for freight space are approved, it is then up to the shippers or the agents of the importers to make the actual arrangements with the steamship operators for the lifting of the cargo.
Sufficient newsprint has now been approved with an “A” shipping priority, as an indirect result of the Department’s intervention, to take care of the requirements of all consumers in accordance with the most recent recommendation of the Embassy.
The Department realizes the serious situation as a result of irregular shipments and has called this to the attention of the War Shipping Administration.