Evening star., 1940-08-19
Note on American Leqion
Germany Received Sufficient Notice
On Selling, Kirk Asserts

proposed, the vessel to sail on
August Is as scheduled and al
ready notified to all the belliger-
ent governments. As instructed
by his Government, the American
Charge d'Anaires informed the
German Foreign ONCE on August
IS accordingly, and stated that
the Government of the United
States consequently reverted to
the original communication TO
the German government on the
subject and took note of the fact
that the German government had
brought the voyage Of the vessel
to the attention of its appropri-
ate agencies.
German Government Received
Sufficient Advance Notice.
The United States Govern
ment is of the opinion, therefore,
that the German government re-
ceived sufficient advance notice
of the sailing of the American
Legion from Petsamo on the
date scheduled and the course to
be followed, to take every pre-
caution against attack on the
vessel by the German combat
forces. The German govern
ment acknowledged the receipt
Of this notification prior to the
vessels departure and stated
that the appropriate German
authorities had been informed
of the date of departure, course,
and description of the vessel.
The German government did not
give assurance of safe conduct
for the vessel but explained that
there was no occasion to give
any such assurance with regard
to the vessel as it was out OF
the question that German forces
should stop the vessel or take
any other measures against her.
All the other belligerent govern
ments have given assurance OF
safe conduct for the vessel for
her sailing on the date scheduled
and on the course indicated.
"The German government now
points out that it did not re-
ceive final notification of the
ships departure from Petsamo
on August Is until noon of that
day and that the American EN-
bassy at Berlin had been in
formed that August Is was the
latest date for such notification
of the intended route. However,
the stipulation of the German
Foreign Office that it be notified
by noon, Berlin time, August IS,
with respect to the vessels course
was in reply to the Embassy's in
quiry as to how much advance
notice of the change Of course
of the vessel would be required
by the Foreign once. Since no
change was made in the course
of the vessel, further advance
notice became entirely unneces-
sary.
Stated briefly. the German
sions during the conversations
about the voyage Of the American
Legion stated that the vessel in
question as a public vessel of the
United States, actually being a
transport of the United States
Army. needed no safe conduct
from the German government be-
cause safe conducts were reserved
only for merchant vessels. The
German government having re-
peatedly made that statement and
having stated also that they
would notify their armed forces
of the route on which 1t was in
formed the vessel would proceed
and Of the date Of her departure
from Petsamo and Of the descrip-
ton of the vessel, and having
assured the Government of the
United States that it had actually
notified its armed forces of the
route. date of sailing and de-
scription of the American Legion,
and in continuing reliance upon
the original statements of the
German government, the Ameri-
can Charge d'Affaires is in
structed to inform the German
government that under the cir
cumstances above related the
Government Of the United States
expects that the vessel will suf-
fer no molestation by any action
undertaken by the German armed
forces"