411.57 N 83/71
The Norwegian Minister (Bryn) to the Secretary of State
My Dear Mr. Secretary of State: On December 2, 1919, I had the honor to address to Your Excellency’s predecessor an official note claiming on behalf of my Government an amount of 15,600,000 dollars as indemnification for damage and loss caused to Norwegian citizens by the violation of existing treaty stipulations on the part of the Government of the United States in appropriating 15 ships [Page 576] under construction and building contracts enumerated in a brief attached to said note.
Although more than six months have elapsed since my note I am without reply from the United States Government. We are now approaching the long space of three years since the requisitioning took place and great hardship is wrought upon the Norwegian shipowners by this delay in settling the claims. I therefore feel it my duty to my country to ask that radical action be taken in order to obtain a settlement.
If the President of the United States had been entirely well I would have applied for the honor of an interview in order to explain the matter to him personally. But under the present circumstances I feel it would be difficult to ask for such interview.
I therefore venture to ask whether Your Excellency might be willing to lay the affair before the President for his consideration and decision.
With my best thanks in advance for your good offices in this matter, I am [etc.]