Office of the Historian

600.119/1883: Telegram

The Ambassador in Great Britain ( Davis ) to the Acting Secretary of State

London , December 20, 1918.
[Received December 20—10:01 p.m.]

4789. War Trade Board [from Sheldon]: Number 2146. Refer your 1859, Department’s 3470, December 17th, 6 p.m. and our 2140 and 2143 of today. British and French representatives on A.B.C, feel that you do not wholly appreciate their earnest desire to cooperate fully with you in meeting the present changed conditions and wish us to point out:

1.
That the free list was admittedly inadequate and contained only commodities the continued control of which was considered of no importance and was intended only as a temporary measure to meet in some slight degree the pressure brought to bear by traders in Allied countries;
2.
That your suggestions regarding non reference to London contained in latter part of your 1815 Department’s 3354 December 10, were largely acceded to as notified you in our 2089, Embassy’s 4600 December 13th;
3.
That the increased cotton rations to Scandinavian neutrals suggested by you have been approved with all possible despatch and that other increases are being considered and will be promptly reported;
4.
That as a result of the foregoing measures within 6 weeks of the date of the armistice the blockade of neutrals has been very materially [relaxed] along lines for the most part suggested by War Trade Board.

Davis