811.841/313
Memorandum by the Assistant Secretary of State (Castle)
The Danish Minister came to ask me the meaning of the note of March 26th from the Department concerning tonnage dues charges on Danish vessels. He said he was not absolutely certain, but that he supposed the note meant that we were negotiating a new treaty with Norway which would do away with the discrimination in tonnage dues. I told him that I thought this supposition was entirely correct and that I could assure him that this new treaty with Norway would definitely do away with the discrimination.
The Minister said that he felt he should say that the note in question was not, in his opinion, an answer; that his Government still reserved the right to make the claim for the refund of what he considers a discriminatory and unfair tonnage rate charged Danish ships. I told him that, of course, his Government had a perfect right to make any claim it wished, but that I could not advise him as to what consideration would be taken of the claim.