Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, 1917, Supplement 2, The World War, Volume II

File No. 600.119/316

The Department of State to the Brazilian Embassy ¹

Memorandum

The Department of State presents its compliments to the Brazilian Embassy and encloses for its information a copy of a letter dated August 1, 1917, from the Secretary of Commerce with reference to the issuance of licenses for the shipment of iron and steel plates, pig iron, iron and steel scrap and steel billets.

Washington , August 10, 1917 .

[Enclosure]

The Secretary of Commerce ( Redfield ) to the Secretary of State

Washington , August 1, 1917 .

Sir: In accordance with the President’s instructions, I am to-day instructing the Division of Export Licenses to act in accordance with the following policy:

That all shipments to those nations associated with the United States in the war are, until further instructions, to be licensed freely, without reservation, and without restriction, except iron and steel plates, pig iron, iron and steel scrap, and steel billets, for which licenses shall be granted only in case said articles are destined for actual war purposes or will directly contribute thereto.

In order that there may be no delay in shipments of iron and steel plates, pig iron, iron and steel scrap, and steel billets, to those nations associated with us in the war, and when such articles are destined for actual war purposes or will directly contribute thereto, may I ask that you secure as promptly as possible from representatives of those nations a formal statement accompanying their applications for licenses for these articles, to the effect that said shipments are destined for actual war purposes or will directly contribute thereto.

Respectfully,

William C. Redfield

1. The same, mutatis mutandis, on the same date, to the British, French, Italian, Japanese, and Russian Embassies and to the Belgian, Cuban, Panaman, Portuguese, Serbian, and Siamese Legations.