362.115 St 21/85: Telegram
The Commission to Negotiate Peace to the Secretary of State
[Received 1:52 p.m.]
5108. In my talk with Crowe61 today we took up tanker question at length. It is very evident that the British cannot agree to the Germans operating the nine tank ships claimed by Standard Oil Company. Their proposal now is that the five tank ships which belong to the Germans should be allocated and that other nine, which the Standard Oil Company claims, should be held pending decision of the Reparation Commission. Please let me know immediately your views as to this proposed basis. It may be that I can persuade them, although it is doubtful, to permit the operation of the boats by Americans. Crowe’s naval adviser frankly told me that the reason they could not permit the Germans to operate these ships was that there were thousands of masters and sailors out of employment in Great Britain and there would be a storm of protest if these ships, which should be operated by one of the Allies, were permitted to go out with German crews. I can understand that there is a serious political question involved as far as German operation is concerned.
I hope to have arranged that the nine ships will be held in Hamburg for the present. I feel the negotiations should be pressed in Washington, particularly in view of the fact that Lindsay seems to be sympathetic. See your 3669, November 4th. Dresel62 is seeing the French this afternoon and I [shall] report what he finds. Polk.