File No. 611.419/1910
The Ambassador in Great Britain ( Page) to the Secretary of State
[Received November 24, 4.35 a.m.]
7792. Your 5844, November 17, 7 p.m.1 I would report that Littlejohn & Co. copal license was granted November 15; McKesson & Robbins gum arabic was also granted; Schieffelin valerian root was granted three hundredweight out of half a ton, belladonna was granted. I have received no instructions on the McLaughlin Gormelly King Co.’s request for senna leaves. With regard to Jahn Co. gum arabic see my despatch No. 7705, November 16, asking for further information.1 The same query arises in regard to the Schieffelin Co.’s application for gum arabic. The ungranted applications referred to in your cable under reply are being considered. The remaining items are largely hides and skins. One of the difficulties in this regard is that they were in almost every case shipped to Great Britain after the British embargo had been published. The American importers were therefore knowingly running the risk of having their merchandise stopped here. I am however again making representations to the Foreign Office in the hope that licenses will be granted for the movement of all these consignments, but respectfully invite your attention to the fact that the question of shipping is the governing factor in all these cases, as well as for many other commodities originating in the East and required by the United States for purposes of war or for commerce; and with a view not only of saving Allied tonnage on balance but also to avoid the double submarine risk of trans-shipment via Great Britain, it is extremely desirable that shipments of all necessary commodities originating in the East be made via the Pacific direct to the United States, and it is in the hope that such an arrangement may be consummated that I am suggesting to the Foreign Office that the hide and skin shipments being retained here shall be released as being the end of such movements involving trans-shipments via Great Britain.2 I have for some months felt the need of a competent shipping expert who could represent America unofficially at the Ministry of Shipping and repeatedly requested that one be sent. He perhaps could, if you [Page 988] wished, facilitate arrangement by utilizing tonnage economically in the bringing of these Eastern products direct to the United States, and I trust that the accomplishment of this plan in one way or another will reopen long-delayed commerce and navigation. You will appreciate that another difficulty in the way of securing the release of these hides and skins is the fact that they are presumably luxuries and not needed for the prosecution of the war. The use of tonnage is therefore reluctantly conceded.