841D.852/15: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Minister in Ireland (Gray)
136. Please request an appointment with Mr. de Valera and hand him the following note:
“I have the honor to refer to recent efforts of the Irish Government, through its officials in Washington, to obtain additional merchant ships in the United States. Several weeks ago the Irish Shipping Limited, an agency of the Irish Government, entered into negotiations with the States Marine Corporation in New York for the purchase of the SS Wolverine, a vessel of approximately 8,000 tons under charter to the United States War Shipping Administration. Application was made to the Maritime Commission for approval of the proposed sale and the Irish Legation in Washington, in a note of December 4, requested the State Department to recommend to the War Shipping Administration that the application be approved.
“I am instructed to inform you that the State Department in consultation with the President has given this matter careful consideration and for the reasons set forth below has been unable to make the recommendation requested by the Irish Government. The United [Page 169] States Maritime Commission on December 7 denied the application for the proposed sale as not being in the interests of the United States.
“You will recall that in September 1941, in the face of a growing world shortage of shipping, the American Government made available to the Irish Government by charter two American merchant ships. These two ships have now both been destroyed by Axis submarines. The American Government understands that the Irish Pine (formerly the West Hematite) sailed from Ireland October 28, 1942 and failed to arrive at its destination and that the Irish Oak (formerly West Neris) was torpedoed on the morning of May 15, 1943 in open daylight and under conditions of good visibility. Although no definite information seems to be available regarding the precise manner of the sinking of the Irish Pine, the torpedoing of the Irish Oak appears to have been definitely established, as well as the fact that a German submarine was observed by the crew of the Irish Oak some hours prior to the sinking. The sinking of the Irish Oak, and of other Irish ships, which you have rightly described as a ‘wanton and inexcusable act,’ is clearly the work of Axis submarines in their campaign of indiscriminate warfare against all ships whether belligerent or neutral.
“In chartering the West Hematite (Irish Pine) and the West Neris (Irish Oak) to the Irish Government the American Government was motivated by the most friendly considerations and by the sole purpose of helping the Irish Government and the Irish people to carry to their shores foodstuffs and other supplies of critical necessity. This, of course, constitutes only a part of the efforts of the American Government since the outbreak of war to assist the Irish people in obtaining needed supplies. The chartering of these ships to the Irish Government represented a real sacrifice on the part of the United States at a time when shipping space was most badly needed. The Irish Government sailed these ships with distinct neutral markings and they carried supplies in no way connected with the war. The action of the Axis submarines in sinking these ships without warning is, therefore, to repeat your own language, a ‘wanton and inexcusable act.’
“So far as the American Government is informed, the Irish Government has taken no steps against the Axis Governments and, thus far, has offered no word of protest to the Axis Governments against these wanton acts. These repeated attacks on Irish ships appear to be conclusive proof, if further proof were needed, that the Axis powers are in fact making war upon Ireland while at the same time using Ireland’s friendship to the detriment of the United Nations war effort. The loss of the West Hematite (Irish Pine) and the West Neris (Irish Oak) has harmed not only Ireland but the United States, to whom those vessels belonged, and the whole United Nations war effort.
“The fact that ships sailing under the Irish flag bear distinct neutral markings and travel fully lighted at night should make them immune from belligerent attack but in reality serves only to make them easy targets for Nazi submarines. Any further ships transferred to the Irish flag would be subjected to these same hazards.
“In view of the foregoing circumstances, it is regretted that the State Department cannot comply with your request that it recommend to the Maritime Commission the approval of the sale now in question.”