Office of the Historian

600.119/1839: Telegram

The Chargé in Great Britain ( Laughlin ) to the Acting Secretary of State

London , December 14, 1918.
[Received December 14—2:45 p.m.]

4613. War Trade Board [from Sheldon]: Number 2093. Supplementing our 2089, December 13. A.B.C. concurs discontinuance “X” cables subject to following safeguards:

(1).
No license will be issued to any consignee on stat. list or G.B.L. “A”.
(2).
Daily statistical cable reporting licenses issued be sent to London for records of Rationing and Statistical Committee.
(3).
In case W.T.B. has been warned that when any ration is nearly exhausted applications will be referred to London as in past.
(4).
Statistical Committee will continue as hitherto to report to W.T.B. all embargoes, preliminary warnings and their respective removals. It would also communicate to W.T.B. a special warning in any case where ration approached exhaustion.
(5).
British War Trade Intelligence will provide W.T.B. with special information concerning certain consignees now being refused facilities pending final determination of their status. For such consignees no facilities should be granted without prior reference to A.B.C. Such a special “stop” list would supplement stat. list and G.B.L. “A”. Unnecessary under circumstances pay any further attention to G.B.L. “B”, cloak lists etc.
(6).
With regard to procedure proposed for particular countries:
(a).
Denmark. A.B.C. concurs.
(b).
Norway. Import associations could not allocate and distribute ration without knowing whether shipments were being licensed in accordance import facilities they had issued. A.B.C. suggests that same procedure proposed for non-association commodities namely cables to Commercial Department Norwegian Legation from Norwegian Finance Department be applied to import certificates issued by associations.
(c).
Holland. Procedure in Holland should be identical with that suggested for Denmark now. Should telegraph Washington numbers and details of all import certificates issued.
(d).
Sweden. A.B.C. considers Sweden should be subjected to special treatment in view of the determined attempts by the Swedes to break down black list and commodity control. Suggest [Page 757] that numbers and details of all certificates issued should be cabled by Handel’s Commission to Swedish Trade Office, Washington, for communication to W.T.B. in addition to I.A.T.C.32 the [sic] Stockholm in connection their daily scrutiny of import certificates would at same time cable W.T.B. numbers of any certificates they disapprove and W.T.B. would act on this advice.
(7).
A.B.C. considers this concentration of license control in Washington should be made effective at earliest possible moment, especially with regard to Holland.
(8).
Accordingly I have telegraphed War Trade Board representative in each northern neutral capital summarizing the discontinuance proposals and have suggested that he discuss the matter immediately with his colleagues and with local trading association in order that the new direct system may be installed by December 23 if possible.

Laughlin
  1. Inter-Allied Trade Committee.↩