311.5754 Janko/13

The Secretary of State to the Norwegian Ambassador (Morgenstierne)

Excellency: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your notes of January 21 and 29, 1944,21 with accompanying documents, concerning the seizure of the motor-tank vessel Norsktank (formerly the Janko), in a possessory libel in rem pending in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, entitled: Pankos Operating Company, S.A.,—against—Motor-tank Vessel “Janko” (otherwise called “Norsktank”), her engines, boilers, etc.,—and against—O. Nygaard or John Doe (said name being fictitious) and any and all other person or persons in possession of said vessel or lawfully intervening for any legal interest in said vessel, etc. Notes in the matter have also been received from the British and Netherlands Embassies.

The Department has requested the Attorney General to instruct his appropriate representative in New York to appear in the proceedings in this case and to present to the court certified copies of the several notes received by it, and to state to the court that the Department of State accepts as true the statements of fact contained in your notes and recognizes and allows the claim presented by you on behalf of the Kingdom of Norway that the vessel is entitled to immunity from judicial process in the courts of this country.

Accept [etc.]

For the Secretary of State
Edward R. Stettinius, Jr.
  1. Latter not printed; it supplied additional background data on the Norsktank (311.5754 Janko/8).