File No. 763.72112Sa/107
The Ambassador in Great Britain ( Page) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 15, 10 a.m.]
1090. War Trade Board [from Sheldon]:
No. 1227. Referring Embassy’s 930, our 1190, August 8, 7 p.m. As a result of conference at Foreign Office on German safe conduct, I strongly urge that the following note be presented to the Swedish Government:
The Associated Governments of Great Britain, France, the United States, and Italy inform the Royal Swedish Government that the form of declaration required from Swedish shipowners by the so-called German safe conduct would, if acquiesced in by the Royal Swedish Government, be contrary to article 14 of the Swedish agreement signed May 29, 1918,1 and would tend to nullify the effect of this agreement, one of the main objects of which was to secure the regular continuance of Allied-Swedish trade and the export to the Allies of articles manufactured from or with the assistance of materials allowed to be imported through the blockade for the specific purpose of the return of the finished article.
The British Minister in Stockholm was probably directed to address a note in the above sense to the Swedish Government, but to wait until his United States, French, Italian colleagues received similar instructions before sending it in. Please see copy of Foreign Office telegram No. 49521 to British Embassy, outlining British general [views]. The Foreign Office is also cabling British ministers in neutral countries, referring to Foreign Office telegram No. 4992,1 and instructing them to take an opportunity of informally acquainting the governments to which they are accredited with the instructions sent to His Majesty’s representative at Stockholm, and pointing out further that in cases where the conditions which the Germans may seek to impose in their safe conduct amount to enforcing unneutral service upon the ships carrying them, that His Majesty’s Government must of course reserve the right to take such action as circumstances may require. Ministers are advised that the actual words of the note to the Swedish Government should not be communicated until they are advised by the Foreign Office that it has been presented.