800.85/7–1544: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant) to the Secretary of State
London, July 15,
1944—4 p.m.
[Received July 15—3:26 p.m.]
5599. For Berle and Land, WSA, from Allison, Radius and Morse. Preliminary
discussions between British and American shipping representatives on general
Anglo-American line of approach at forthcoming shipping conference are
proceeding satisfactorily.
Following represents substance of informal agreement reached with British as
to our joint line of approach to Allies on the subject of ship warrant
control under clause 5 of the Memorandum of Principles:
- “1. Under the US and British ship warrant schemes the
following American and British controlled shipping facilities
are only granted to vessels in approved employment which
generally receive ship warrants.
- (I).
- Coal and oil bunkers.
- (II).
- Deck and engine room stores, including
lubricants.
- (III).
- Ship repairs and spare parts.
- (IV).
- Lighterage, docking and towage.
- (V).
- Admiralty charts and publications (British scheme
only).
- (VI).
- Banking credits in respect of cargoes (British scheme
only).
- (VII).
- Marine insurance.
- The signatory Governments should take measures to be sure that
all such facilities in their territories can be withheld from
ships not trading in conformity with the purposes of the United
Nations both as regards employment and rates of freight. As
regards insurance, each Government should take steps to ensure
that no insurance policy is issued by any insurance company
under its control in respect of any vessels of any flag unless
it is trading in conformity with the purposes of the United
Nations.
- 2. Inter-Allied machinery will be established within the
central authority for reviewing the employment of ships from
which it may be desirable to withhold facilities in order to
bring their trading into conformity with the purposes of the
United Nations and for notifying to the Governments concerned
the names of such ships from which they should withhold
facilities under their control.
- 3. The United States and British authorities will continue to
issue United States and British ship warrants as a credential by
which
[Page 663]
ships will
secure facilities under United States and British control. It
will be necessary for administrative convenience, in view of the
worldwide distribution of the shipping facilities control led by
the United States and British Governments, that ships under all
flags which may require to use such facilities should carry
United States and/or British ship warrants.
- 4. Some other Allied Governments may desire that ships
requiring to use facilities under their control should carry
ship warrants issued by them. It can be pointed out to any such
Government that the United States and British Governments issue
ship warrants only as a matter of convenience both to themselves
and to the shipowners, so that ships in possession of such
warrants may automatically benefit from facilities under United
States or British control in any part of the world without delay
and expense consequent upon reference to Washington or London
and that it should not be necessary for a Government which is
not in the position of controlling facilities in other parts of
the world to adopt the same practice. However, the United States
and British Government could not object if other Governments
elected to issue warrants themselves for ships requiring
facilities in their territories.”
The paragraph 4 of the above will have to be used only if some Allied
Government indicates strong desire to establish its own ship warrant scheme.
We will discourage such suggestions to the extent possible. [Allison,
Radius, Morse.]
