Date and number

1919 Jan. 12 (68)

Jan. 13

Jan. 13 (6947)

Jan. 15 (245)

Jan. 16 (305)

Jan. 18 (303)

Jan. 20 (356)

Jan. 23 (397)

FOOD RELIEF-Continued

Subject

The Ambassador in Italy (Page) to the Commission to Negotiate
Peace (tel.)

For Hoover from Crespi: Information that Attolico will
represent Italy at first meeting of Relief Commission, and that
the two permanent delegates will be appointed soon.

The Special Representative of the Treasury in Europe (Davis)
to President Wilson

Understanding that Mr. Hoover is preparing statement of Roumania's need for food and that Department of State is clearing up legal aspects of the proposed credit of $5,000,000; transmittal, for the President's signature, of letter to the Secretary of Treasury.

The Acting Secretary of State to the Chargé in France (Bliss) (tel.)
For Davis from Rathbone: Information that President's
message contained in telegram No. 215 of January 9 is regarded
as sufficient to authorize use of credits in favor of Roumania
and that necessary advices from the Department of State
are being awaited.

The Acting Secretary of State to the Commission to Negotiate
Peace (tel.)

For the President from Glass: Readiness to make advance to Roumania when essential requirements imposed by loan statutes are met; statement of Treasury's attitude toward artificial maintenance of commodity prices.

The Commission to Negotiate Peace to the Acting Secretary of
State (tel.)

From Lansing: Military information leading to opinion that
Roumania should be regarded as belligerent within meaning of
act of Congress; instructions to advise Secretary of the Treas-
ury and to cable whether Roumanian representative has
received authority to sign obligations.

The Acting Secretary of State to the Commission to Negotiate
Peace (tel.)

Information that Roumanian representatives are still without authority to sign obligations; inquiry whether authority might be forwarded by Premier Bratiano in Paris; telegram to Legation at Bucharest (text printed) instructing that Roumanian Government be advised of necessity to confer full powers upon representative in the United States.

The Commission to Negotiate Peace to the Acting Secretary of
State (tel.)

From Lansing: Receipt and approval of Roumanian Premier's authorization to Chargé in Washington to execute obligations; suggestion that, with this and other information already supplied, Department furnish Treasury Department with the information requested.

The Commission to Negotiate Peace to the Acting Secretary of
State (tel.)

For Rathbone from Davis: Assumption that letter from the
President to the Secretary of the Treasury approving extension
of credits to Roumania (text printed) is no longer needed, in
view of telegram No. 6947 of January 13; request to be advised
when funds are made available.

Page

719

719

720

720

721

722

723

723

Date and number

1919 Jan. 25 (414)

1918 Nov. 9

(5779)

Nov. 14 (2813)

Nov. 15 (3756)

Nov. 15 (3765)

Nov. 16

Nov. 16 (2854)

Nov. 16 (2855)

FOOD RELIEF-Continued

Subject

The Acting Secretary of State to the Commission to Negotiate
Peace (tel.)

For Davis from Rathbone: Information that everything is in order to establish $5,000,000 credit to Roumania and to make advances therefrom, as well as additional advance of $1,000,000 to Czechoslovak Government from credit previously established, as soon as requests therefor are received.

THE BLOCKADE AND REGULATION OF TRADE

The Ambassador in France (Sharp) to the Secretary of State (tel.)
War Trade Board from McFadden: Recommendations
regarding post-armistice policy.

(Copy to Auchincloss.)

The Secretary of State to the Chargé in Great Britain (Laughlin)
(tel.)

For Sheldon from War Trade Board: Desire for opinion of Allied Blockade Committee regarding changes to simplify procedure respecting Northern Neutrals.

(Instructions to repeat to Christiania, Copenhagen, and Stockholm.)

The Chargé in Great Britain (Laughlin) to the Secretary of State
(tel.)

For McCormick, War Trade Board, from Sheldon: Recommendation for immediate decision on question of continuation of Allied control of raw materials, shipping, and trade.

The Chargé in Great Britain (Laughlin) to the Secretary of State
(tel.)

War Trade Board from Sheldon: Tentative proposals of
A. B. C. for relaxation of blockade.

The Secretary of State to the Chargé in Great Britain (Laughlin)
(tel.)

For Sheldon from War Trade Board: Expectation that
foreign organization will be maintained; request for suggestions
as to any change of blockade policy during armistice period.
(Footnote: Sent also to other diplomatic missions for War
Trade Board representatives.)

The Secretary of State to the Chargé in Great Britain (Laughlin)
(tel.)

For Sheldon from War Trade Board, for Frothingham: Continuance of strict censorship except with respect to press; continuance of enemy trade restrictions.

The Secretary of State to the Chargé in Great Britain (Laughlin)
(tel.)

For Sheldon from War Trade Board: Intention to advise promptly of any relaxation of U. S. export or import restrictions; desire for frank interchange with British Government on the subject.

(Instructions to inform Stevens, Rublee, and Tower, and to repeat to McFadden.)

Page

724

729

731

732

733

734

735

735

Date and number

THE BLOCKADE AND REGULATION OF TRADE-Continued

1918 Nov. 18 (1843)

Nov. 19 (2904)

Nov. 19 (6338)

Nov. 21

Nov. 21

Nov. 22 (3944)

Nov. 23 (3966)

Nov. 25 (3037)

Subject

The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Italy (Page) (tel.)
For Stewart from War Trade Board: Importance of main-
taining close and sympathetic relations with representatives of
Associated Governments.

The Secretary of State to the Chargé in Great Britain (Laughlin)
(tel.)

For Sheldon from War Trade Board: Instructions to discuss with British authorities U. S. proposal for mutual arrangement to give advance notification of proposed relaxations of import restrictions.

The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in France (Sharp) (tel.)
For McFadden from War Trade Board: Approval of recom-
mendations regarding post-armistice policy; views on blockade
and Inter-Allied blockade organizations.

(Repeated to the Chargé in Great Britain, for Sheldon, on
November 21.)

The Secretary of State to All American Missions and Consulates
(cir. tel.)

From War Trade Board: Instructions to give publicity
to press notice for release on November 22 (text printed),
which states that although there will be considerable relaxation
in exportation of commodities heretofore conserved for war
purposes, tonnage will continue to be the controlling factor.
The Secretary of State to the Chargé in Great Britain (Laughlin)
(tel.)

For Sheldon from War Trade Board: Instructions to give publicity to press release to be published November 22 (text printed), regarding relaxation of export regulations, restriction resulting from scarcity of tonnage, and continuance in full effect of the Trading with the Enemy Act.

(Sent also to Embassies in Argentina, Brazil, France (for McFadden), and Japan.)

The Chargé in Great Britain (Laughlin) to the Secretary of State
(tel.)

War Trade Board from Sheldon: Formal draft of blockade
and trading with enemy policy formulated by A. B. C. and
British Government for submission to Washington, Paris, and
Rome for approval (text printed).

The Chargé in Great Britain (Laughlin) to the Secretary of State
(tel.)

War Trade Board from Sheldon: Inability of Rationing and Statistical Subcommittee to agree to suggested restricted list of imports to Northern Neutrals because of delay involved; their recommendation to A. B. C. for temporary free list. Desire to be informed of acceptability of procedure and of the free list transmitted in this telegram.

The Secretary of State to the Chargé in Great Britain (Laughlin)
(tel.)

For Sheldon from War Trade Board: Instructions to ascertain attitude toward U. S. proposal to establish blanket license for export to France, Great Britain, Italy, and colonies, of all commodities except certain foodstuffs and possibly a few other articles. Establishment of blanket license for export of cotton to France, Great Britain, Italy, and Japan, effective December 2. (Sent also, on November 23, to the Ambassador in Italy, for Stewart, and to the Ambassador in France, for McFadden.)

Page

736

736

737

738

739

740

741

742

THE BLOCKADE AND REGULATION OF TRADE-Continued

Date and number

1918 Nov. 26 (3072)

Nov. 26 (4078)

Nov. 27 (3098)

Nov. 29 (4158)

Nov. 30 (4185)

Dec. 4 (3224)

Dec. 5 (4330)

Dec. 6

(4385)

Subject

The Secretary of State to the Chargé in Great Britain (Laughlin)
(tel.)

For Sheldon from War Trade Board, for Frothingham: Comments on tentative A. B. C. proposals for blockade relaxation. (Instructions to advise Paris and Rome of substance of this

cable.)

The Chargé in Great Britain (Laughlin) to the Secretary of State
(tel.)

War Trade Board from Frothingham: Request for views on proposed reduction of statutory list and General Black List A; report of A. B. C. discussions.

The Secretary of State to the Chargé in Great Britain (Laughlin)
(tel.)

For Sheldon from War Trade Board: Information that Embassy's telegram No. 3944 of November 22 has now been received and that Board's views as set forth in Department's telegram No. 3072 of November 26 need not be modified.

The Chargé in Great Britain (Laughlin) to the Secretary of State
(tel.)

War Trade Board from Sheldon: British view that proposed blanket license for U. S. exports should not be established until British import restrictions have been removed to a greater extent; their suggestion for general permission to export to Great Britain only articles for which British have issued a general license to import.

The Chargé in Great Britain (Laughlin) to the Secretary of State
(tel.)

War Trade Board from Sheldon, for Woolley and Gay from Peterson: Arrangement for reciprocal exchange of information with Board of Trade concerning relaxation of import restrictions.

The Acting Secretary of State to the Chargé in Great Britain
(Laughlin) (tel.)

For Sheldon from War Trade Board: Information that Board
agrees to list proposed in Embassy's telegram No. 3966 of No-
vember 23 but believes it to be entirely inadequate; proposal
to grant licenses for export to Scandinavia, Holland, and
Switzerland, reporting same to London after granting, of man-
ufactured articles generally, and referring to London before
granting licenses for major foodstuffs and raw materials; desire
for opinion of A. B. C.; instructions to supply interpretation of
the term "free list."

The Chargé in Great Britain (Laughlin) to the Acting Secretary
of State (tel.)

War Trade Board from Sheldon: Letter from Board of Trade
(text printed), notifying of removal of certain import restrictions.
The Chargé in Great Britain (Laughlin) to the Acting Secretary
of State (tel.)

War Trade Board from Sheldon: Information that articles on free list will be released from restrictions for Northern Neutral destinations, that as export licenses for free list goods will be required only at discretion of exporting country, it will be possible for the goods to go to firms on confidential list but not to a statutory list consignee; plan to announce list on December 10, to be effective on December 15; consideration by A. B. C. of U. S. suggestions to add to scope of list.

Date and number

THE BLOCKADE AND REGULATION OF TRADE-Continued

1918 Dec. 7 (3334)

Dec. 10 (3354)

Dec. 10 (3358)

Dec. 10 (3367)

Dec. 11 (4513)

Dec. 12 (4549)

Dec. 13

Dec. 13 (4599)

Subject

The Acting Secretary of State to the Chargé in Great Britain
(Laughlin) (tel.)

For Sheldon from War Trade Board: Intention to release
announcement that after December 16 no individual licenses
will be required for shipments to Great Britain except for a
limited list; public announcement (text printed) of suspension
by British of import restrictions on certain commodities and
of procedure for exporting under special export license rather
than individual export licenses.

The Acting Secretary of State to the Chargé in Great Britain
(Laughlin) (tel.)

For Sheldon from War Trade Board: Instructions to urge
A. B. C. to increase rations of all commodities to neutral
countries of Europe, or at least to increase cotton rations to
the Northern Neutrals; suggested modification of general
procedure regarding Northern Neutrals (summary printed).
The Acting Secretary of State to the Chargé in Great Britain
(Laughlin) (tel.)

For Sheldon from War Trade Board, for Frothingham: Opinion, in agreement with British, French, and Italian representatives, that it is undesirable at present to undertake any important revision of statutory or confidential lists or changes in enemy trade restrictions.

The Acting Secretary of State to the Chargé in Great Britain
(Laughlin) (tel.)

For Sheldon from War Trade Board: Inquiry as to what, if
any, proposals have been formulated by the A. B. C. regard-
ing shipments to Serbia, Bulgaria, and Turkey, including
Syria.

The Chargé in Great Britain (Laughlin) to the Acting Secretary
of State (tel.)

War Trade Board from Frothingham: Inquiry whether
opinion expressed in Department's telegram No. 3358 of
December 10 applies in respect of neutral Europe or specifically
to Latin American countries.

The Chargé in Great Britain (Laughlin) to the Acting Secretary
of State (tel.)

War Trade Board from Sheldon: Information that A. B. C.
has given conditional approval to resumption of trade with
Alsace-Lorraine, Trieste, Trentino, Syria, and Palestine, and
is considering question of Luxemburg, Roumania, and Serbia;
no resumption of trade with Bulgaria and Turkey under
consideration.

The Acting Secretary of State to the Chargé in Great Britain
(Laughlin) (tel.)

For Sheldon from War Trade Board: Notification to repre-
sentatives of European neutrals that purchases may now be
made in the United States without restriction as to obtaining
of a license before purchase is made.

(Sent also to diplomatic missions in Denmark, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland for War Trade Board representatives.)

The Chargé in Great Britain (Laughlin) to the Acting Secretary
of State (tel.)

War Trade Board from Sheldon: Information that A. B. C.
agrees in principle to increase of Northern Neutral cotton
ration.

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752

752

752

753

754

754