[Enclosure—Translation]
The Norwegian Minister for Foreign Affairs
(Lykke)
to the American Minister (Swenson)
Mr. Minister: With reference to my last
note of the seventh ultimo regarding two of the fox farms
established by the Polarfront Company on the Island of Jan Mayen, I
have the honor to advise that the Norwegian Meteorological Institute
asserts that when the Institute, as was stated in a note dated May
17, 1926, from the Norwegian Minister at Washington to the
Department of State,6 extended its occupation to include the
whole of the Island of Jan Mayen, Mr. Ekerold was engaged in no
other occupation on the Island than that which he undertook on
behalf of the Institute and which is dealt with in the note dated
April 21, 1922, from the Norwegian Minister at Washington to the
Department of State.7
As to the statement made in your note of the third ultimo to the
effect that the fox farms in question lie outside of the area which
Mr. Ekerold at the time claimed on behalf of the Institute, I must
not fail to say that it is evident from investigations which I have
had made that the fox farms lie partly outside and partly within
that portion of Jan Mayen which, as stated in the above-mentioned
note of April 21, 1922, was previously occupied by the
Institute.
With regard to the statement in your note that the fox farms in
question are situated in areas where Mr. Ekerold manifestly placed
claim stakes in his own name in 1922, I must advise that according
to the results of the investigation conducted no such claim stakes
have been seen, known, or previously mentioned.
In concluding I have the honor to add that there has come to the
Foreign Office no announcement from Mr. Ekerold of occupation in his
own name of any part of Jan Mayen and, as far as is known by the
Foreign Office, Mr. Ekerold has done nothing to assert title to such
alleged occupation.
I beg [etc.]
