740.00112 EW/10–1645

The Acting Secretary of State to the Norwegian Ambassador ( Morgenstierne )

The Acting Secretary of State presents his compliments to His Excellency the Ambassador of Norway and has the honor to refer to the Embassy’s note No. 808 dated October 16, 1945 asking the United States Government to consider the negotiation of an agreement between the Norwegian Government and the Government of the United [Page 91] States concerning liberated ships and referring to questions relating to the M.S. Darss which would be solved if such an agreement were in effect.

Since the Embassy’s note of October 16, 1945 was received by the Department, a number of conferences have been held between officers of the Embassy and of the Department and correspondence has been exchanged with respect to the negotiations suggested by the Embassy and to the situation relating to the Darss. The Department now understands that the Darss problem has been satisfactorily solved,24 and no similar situation exists or probably will arise whereunder a liberated vessels agreement between Norway and the United States would be useful. In view of these premises, the Department no longer perceives the necessity for such an agreement between Norway and the United States and would welcome the views of the Embassy in this respect.

  1. On December 28, 1945, the Department of State was informed by the Navy Department that on December 22, the United States Navy prize crew was withdrawn from the M.S. Darss in Bremerhaven, and that a Norwegian crew came aboard and took possession. The Norwegian Embassy was informed and expressed its gratitude for the cooperation of the Department of State in solving this problem. (857.85/12–2845)