740.00112 European War 1939/431
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Secretary of State
The Ambassador of Belgium, accompanied by Mr. Theunis, came in at his own request. The latter stated that he was to be here for some months to aid the Ambassador in looking after the commercial and economic interests of Belgium during the war. Mr. Theunis did virtually all of the talking and the burden of his remarks was the drastic nature of the British blockade in its effect on Belgium. I inquired [Page 767] whether it looked as if the British were expecting his country to make a contribution. He understood that I was not making the inquiry in earnest. He particularly expressed the fear that this Government under the proposed neutrality legislation might feel constrained to designate the Channel ports, including those of Belgium and Holland, as danger areas. I replied that that would be a serious question for our Government.
Mr. Theunis then spoke of the lack of shipping. He went on to say that shipping was necessary to his country to supply its needs, and raised the question of the purchase by his Government of two or three American ships, I think he said, from the Black Diamond Line. He was under the impression that the Government might insist upon passing on the policy of such transaction. I replied that probably the Government would have no particular concern in that respect, but that in any event, if he should take the matter up with the owners of the Black Diamond Line, they would very quickly give him a full and accurate prospective that such a proposed transaction would present. The Ambassador said that the British were harder on American ships or cargoes than on those of smaller countries and opposing belligerents; that this practice might be only intended to continue until after the neutrality legislation now pending in Congress. I gave him an outline of the steps and the attitude of this Government with respect to American shipping and the blockade up to date, which I need not repeat here.