The Secretary of State to Ambassador Page. (Telegram) FOR SHELDON: DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, April 17, 1918. Additional information received since cabling you yesterday leads us to urge the imperative necessity of Swedish ships coming here for coal and general cargoes to Argentina. Capt. Fisher in negotiations last January predicted the present situation and requested the Swedes then to get their ships in motion to prevent it. We are of the opinion that nothing but the gravest political reasons would justify your permitting ships to proceed in ballast from Sweden to Argentina. LANSING. (42) The Secretary of State to Ambassador Page. (Telegram-Paraphrase) DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, April 17, 1918. FOR SHELDON FROM THE WAR TRADE BOARD: Referring to Embassy's telegram of April 13. After consideration by counsel we are prepared to accept the interpretation placed upon the modus vivendi by the Swedish Government and the British Foreign Office to the effect that the Swedish Government did not obligate itself to charter to the United States Shipping Board for four months the replacing steamers to be sent from Sweden under clause 10 of the modus vivendi and clause 3 of the provisional tonnage arrangement. We are accordingly withdrawing our demand that such chartering should occur as a condition to releasing the modus vivendi cargoes from this side. We feel, however, that the modus vivendi clearly contemplated that a substantial amount of shipping should be chartered to us. by the owners under the above mentioned clauses, and we shall charters, and we shall count upon the friendly assistance of the Swedish Government in this matter. In respect to the distribution of oil the Swedish Legation has proposed a plan whereby approximately 75 tons of oil under the modus vivendi and the Christmas agreement will be distributed through the Standard Oil firms in Sweden, the balance to go to British-controlled companies. This we understand to be substantially the same arrangement as has been in force since the war and will be accepted by us in so far as relates to these particular shipments of oil. You may inform the Swedish Minister of our attitude as above expressed. Morris will be advised. LANSING. (43) DEPARTMENT OF STATE Washington, April 22, 1918. AMLEGATION, STOCKHOLM (Sweden) 727 Department's 589, March eight, eight p.m. We understood through London that matter of six steamers for Belgian Relief had been arranged. We request that these six Swedish steamers, Valparaiso, Kronprins Gustav Adolph, Pacific, Kronprins Gustav, Kronprinsessen Margareta and Oscar Frederick, fulfill the charters made with Belgian Relief as Relief Commission is greatly in need of their cargoes. We await reply. LANSING. (Telegram Received) FROM LONDON, Dated May 2, 1918. SECRETARY OF State, WASHINGTON. 9815, May 2, 9 a.m. From Stockholm 42. "Department's 727, April twenty-fourth. John [Johnson] telegraphed his London office yesterday, with consent of Hellner, making offer of eight steamer cargoes for Belgian Relief, subject various conditions. Advise us if offer acceptable." PAGE. (45)* The Secretary of State to Ambassador Page. (Telegram) DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Embassy's telegram of April 1. Certain technical considerations involving formalities in the execution and confirmation of agreements of the scope of the proposed arrangement with Sweden make it impracticable for the Government of the United States to become a formal signatory party thereto. The State Department is prepared, however, to assure the Swedish Government that licenses will be issued as contemplated by the agreement. LANSING. Ambassador Page to the Secretary of State. (Telegram-Paraphrase) AMERICAN EMBASSY, London, May 9, 1918. FROM SHELDON: The Swedish delegates report that Swedish vessels are ready to leave Sweden to proceed to the Plate to load grain, but before departing owners desire to have a written guaranty that no pressure will be brought to bear that they be time chartered for four months. Please cable whether you authorize such a guaranty. WAR TRADE BOARD. "Number 546. I have had conference with Ministry Shipping Foreign Office and Carlsson regarding Johnson boats. Johnson has apparently been making proposals in several quarters which before they were accepted were withdrawn or modified and it would seem best to try to get all Johnson proposals and the acceptance thereof put through the one channel of Carlsson. I have seen the telegram sent to the Belgian Relief from the Belgian Relief, Washington, of May 8th and I think the following proposal could be concluded if you will send your immediate approval: one, San Francisco and Suecia South America to Sweden with modus vivendi cargoes without any condition as to four months charter for releasing vessels as releasing vessels would continue in Belgian Relief, if general agreement be not signed. Two, Kronprinz Gustav Adolph and Pacific United States to Rotterdam C. R. B. Three, Valparaiso, North America to Rotterdam for C. R. B. Four, Kronprinz Gustav, Kronprinzessan Margareta and Oscar Frederick, Sweden to South America, with approved cargo, South America to Rotterdam for Commission for Relief in Belgium. On their outward voyages these vessels would balance those proceeding to Sweden under paragraph one and three above. Five, Drottning, Sofia, Sweden, to South America with approved cargo return either to Sweden with grain under general agreement or to Rotterdam for C. R. B. Six, two vessels equivalent to those in paragraph two E. G. Annie Johnson and Kronprinze Ics in Victoria to be sent in ballast immediately from Sweden to the United States of America to load for modus vivendi. The movement of these boats should be so controlled with the result that there would never at any one time be any more boats in Swedish waters than when modus vivendi was originally signed. On the return of the boats to their present location they should repeat voyages as regards Belgian relief provided a general agreement is not signed. Please cable your approval, earliest possible moment." Carlsson informs me that the steamships Stockholm, Axel Johnson, Prizdessaningeborg, and Pedro Christophersen are ready to leave Sweden for loading cereals in the Plate. Owners would like to have an option on the outward voyage (A) to go direct from Sweden to the Plate or (B) call at Hampton Roads for bunkers, in which case they would take coal or general cargoes, depending on the speed with which loading could be accomplished, to approved consignees at the Plate. On the return trip they would call at a United States port and wait for the signing of the general agreement, failing which the grain should be sold at cost to the United States Government if the agreement be not signed by July 15, and thereupon bunkers be furnished to the boats, and |