Office of the Historian

File No. 860d.48/81a

The Counselor for the Department of State ( Polk) to the Shipping Board Representative on the War Trade Board ( Munson)

Washington, February 21, 1918.

My Dear Mr. Munson: We have a telegram from the American Minister at Stockholm1 which says that the party of law and order are now in control of the north of Finland and that consequently an initial shipment of foodstuffs for Finland could go forward via Narvik, especially as the Minister reports that he can arrange matters so as to stop delivery at any time when it may seem that the supplies are not being properly distributed.

In view of this report, the Department requests that there may be the least possible delay in your arrangement with the Finnish Commission for the shipment of the initial supply of one or two small ships whose total cargo we understand will aggregate some eight thousand (8,000) tons.

I am [etc.]

Frank L. Polk
  1. No. 1479, Feb. 12, Foreign Relations, 1918, Russia, vol. II, p. 749.↩