dodis.ch/43650

La Légation de Suisse à Washington au War Trade Board1

After his interview with Dr. Taylor January 2, the Minister of Switzerland cabled to the Swiss Government in Bern that according to a statement made by Dr. Taylor the War Trade Board, in agreement with the British Embassy, had forwarded the following proposals to London by cable:

Switzerland shall be supplied with the guaranteed allotments of bread stuff grains for the first two months (30,000 tons per month) out of the supply held by the Allies in Europe. For further allotments Switzerland shall be granted the necessary tonnage to enable her to procure the bread stuff grain in the Argentine, where it will be placed at the disposal of Switzerland by the Interallied Wheat Executive.

This information has been transmitted to the Legation of Switzerland in London with the request to ascertain whether the British Authorities have accepted this proposition.

The Legation of Switzerland in Washington is now in receipt of a cable in Bern stating that Sir Crowe has referred the Legation of Switzerland in London to the wording of the decision taken by the “Section de Ravitaillement" at the Interallied Conference in Paris wich reads as follows:

“Les Alliés sont d’accord pour que le ravitaillement en céréales panifiables de la Suisse, en ce qui concerne la marchandise, soit comprise dans les provisions drimportation de la France, les transports maritimes devant être assurés par les soins de la Suisse.”

The Minister of Switzerland has been instructed by the Swiss Government to draw the attention of the Government of the United States to the fact that this wording is in direct contradiction to the corresponding paragraph in the Memorandum reached between the War Trade Board and the Swiss Government2 and to request the Government of the United States that immediate steps be taken to clear up the apparent misunderstanding so that there be no further delay in the supply of Switzerland with the guaranteed bread stuff grain allotments. The Government of the United States is no doubt aware that, as contrary to the stipulations of the American-Swiss memorandum no action has yet been taken, the bread situation in Switzerland is becoming most critical.