Office of the Historian

600.119/1937: Telegram

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

London , January 3, 1919.
[Received January 3—10:42 a.m.]

45. War Trade Board [from Sheldon]: No. 2221. At a meeting of the A.B.C. at which Sir Laming Worthington Evans54 presided the following minute was adopted which modifies the Committee’s interpretation of the free list as advised you in my number 2163, Embassy’s 4838 of December 23rd.

“It was agreed that three principal lists, the free list, the nonrationed list and the rationed list should be adopted.

1.
The goods upon the free list should not be allowed to be consigned to anyone on the statutory list or black lists but that in respect of them there should be no licensing or undertakings by the Importing Associations and that the arrangements with the [Page 784] Importing Associations should be modified where necessary. This list should be confined to unimportant articles and it is not anticipated at the present time it should be an extensive list, although from time to time after due consideration it should be added to from goods now placed upon the nonrationed list.
2.
A nonrationed list should be established of goods not necessary to control as regards quantity, although control should be maintained as regards destination. These goods will be consigned to the Associations and subject to guarantees by the consignees.
3.
The rationed list will be operated under the agreements as in the past with regard to financial facilities. It was agreed that no financial facilities should be permitted to firms on the statutory or black lists in respect of any goods whether on the free, nonrationed or rationed lists, or in respect of general financial transactions and also as regards imports into any Associated country unless a license for this purpose is obtained through the usual channels.”

Existing arrangements for preventing financial facilities to black listers in the four Associated countries were enquired into and these were considered effective as they stand.

Davis
  1. British Minister of Blockade.↩