862.85/891: Telegram

The Commission to Negotiate Peace to the Secretary of State

4447. Newspaper despatches state transfer of steamer Imperator to British has been held up by Shipping Board and reasons given are that Shipping Board intends to hold that ship until British release German tank ships belonging to Standard Oil subsidiary.

I earnestly beg you to give this matter most careful attention … My understanding is that the ships were allocated to the United States for the purpose of bringing home troops on the understanding that, as soon as troops were repatriated, the Imperator should be returned to the Allied Maritime Transport Executive for allocation. It would seem that there is no justification whatever for the action of the Shipping Board in attempting to control the movements of the Imperator or these other ships and particularly no justification for holding them up on the plea that they wish to hold them until they can compel Great Britain to make some favorable settlement in regard to the German tank ships. There are three facts which should be born[e] in mind. First, the fact that the tank ships belonged to the Standard Oil German subsidiary gives us no claim whatever to the operation of these boats. Our only justification [Page 550] for taking any position in the matter at all is to protect German interests. As I understand the law there would be no possibility of the United States Government getting any of these tank ships merely because the Standard Oil had an interest in the German company which owned them. Second, I believe it to be a fact that the United States has, and is now operating, 17 tankers, formerly the property of the Germans, which were in our ports at the time war was declared. If that is a fact it would seem that we were far better off as far as tank ships are concerned, than any other European power. Third, there is a widespread opinion in England which bitterly resents the retention by the United States, of the ships we seized at the outbreak of war. However unjustified this may be it is a matter of delicate character and any new aggravation only serves to magnify the old. The Imperator incident is therefore especially regrettable, …

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Please have some one get all the information immediately on this subject and let me have it as I feel sure the question will be raised by the British and French.

Am also informed that the other ships allocated to us for the purpose of bringing home troops have been turned over to the French and it would hardly seem consistent with the holding up of ships which are to go to the British. Polk.

American Mission