641.5931/103: Telegram
The Minister in Denmark (Atherton) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 2—3:02 p.m.]
81. In conversation with the Foreign Secretary today he said in reply to Danish representations in Berlin as to recent interferences with normal Danish trade with England that German Government had pointed out that England was interfering with Argentine exports of beef to Germany. In other words the Foreign Secretary admitted with bitterness the Germans were already departing from the protocol of the nonaggression pact and going back to the old laws of contraband in war time. However, the German Minister was returning today from Berlin to Copenhagen with a Foreign Office representative to discuss the matter further here.
The Foreign Secretary then told me that he expected shortly to complete a temporary trade agreement with Great Britain by an exchange of notes based on 1939 as a “normal” basic average (my 69, September 19, 7 p.m.43).
He knew of the oral statement referred to in the Department’s 1117, September 29 to London and in conclusion asked as to any details I [Page 754] could give him on the proposal made to the Danish and other Ministers in Washington for the convening of a conference of neutral countries in trade matters and whether it was proposed this conference should meet in Washington and with the neutral powers represented by their various Ministers there. I confess to a certain embarrassment as I have no knowledge of the proposal to which he referred but said that I expected no detailed information at least until the attitude of the several countries concerned was known to Washington.
I should appreciate being informed on this subject since in discussion with me the Foreign Secretary always refers at length to matters relating to neutral trade.
- Not printed.↩