File No. 763.72112Sa/32
The Ambassador in Great Britain ( Page) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 9, 4.30 a.m.]
930. War Trade Board [from Sheldon]:
No. 1190. Your 970, Department’s 624, August 5, 8 p.m. Foreign Office inform me, that as a result of representations made by their ministers in the northern neutrals they now believe it unwise to communicate suggested text regarding German’s conducts [German safe conducts] to the various Governments. They point out that Germans can claim that their offer of safe conducts mitigates the danger of sinking by submarines for neutral vessels agreeing to German conditions, in other words the Germans claim they are facilitating the movement of neutral shipping. If, however, we deliver to the neutral governments the statement in your 970, it would immediately become known to the shipowners who will tend to keep their boats idle; the consequent onus would be put on us. The case of Sweden is reported to be different because the Germans are reported to have made one of the conditions of granting safe conduct, that imports into Sweden shall not be reimported to Allies. Should the Swedes accept this, it would be in violation of article 14 of the Swedish agreement.1 The Foreign Office therefore propose that a statement should be made jointly by the ministers of the Associated Governments to the Swedish Foreign Office, and a meeting will shortly be called to consider the text of this statement. I have learned informally that the French Government have received somewhat similar opinion from the ministers and believe their attitude very similar to that of the British as regards the issuance of a note generally to the neutrals. The British have therefore sent a circular telegram to their legations instructing the withholding of the note as per your 970, and it is suggested that you do likewise. The text of the note to be sent to Sweden will be telegraphed to you. It is proposed that a similar note be sent to any other neutral government as soon as information is forthcoming that conditions imposed by German safe conduct warrant such action.