711.5712/27 The Norwegian Minister (Bryn) to the Secretary of State WASHINGTON, November 26, 1923. SIR: With reference to the note which Your Excellency has been good enough to address me today in connection with the signing of an agreement for the renewal of the Convention of Arbitration concluded between Norway and the United States, April 4, 1908, and renewed from time to time, I have the honor to state that I have been authorized to confirm, and I hereby do confirm that, in the event that the Senate gives its assent to the proposal made to it by the President of the United States that it consent under certain stated conditions to the adhesion by the United States to the Protocol of December 16, 1920, under which the Permanent Court of International Justice has been created at the Hague, the Government of Norway will not be averse to considering a modification of the Convention of Arbitration which we are renewing, or the making of a separate agreement, providing for the reference of disputes mentioned in the Convention to the Permanent Court of International Justice. Accept [etc.] HELMER H. BRYN STATEMENT BY NORWAY OF ITS PARAMOUNT INTEREST IN THE ISLAND OF JAN MAYEN IN THE ARCTIC OCEAN 857.014/ The Norwegian Chargé (Arentz) to the Secretary of State WASHINGTON, February 9, 1920. MR. SECRETARY OF STATE: According to instructions from my Government I have the honor to communicate to the United States Government that a Norwegian citizen, Christoffer Evensen Ruud, has occupied the island Jan Mayen, situated in the Arctic Ocean between the west coast of Norway and Greenland. Mr. Ruud informed the Norwegian Government in letter of August 19, and November 12, 1917, that he had occupied the said island during an expedition with the cutter "Jonas" in August 1917, and that he intended to prospect for ore and minerals, to establish a station for catch of animals, to start seal-oil manufacturing and ore washing. Mr. Ruud has asked that his occupation of the island be notified to the United States Government. I have the honor to communicate this matter to Your Excellency with a view that it be brought to the knowledge of the appropriate authorities of the United States. Please accept [etc.] ERIK ARENTZ 857.014/ The Acting Secretary of State to the Norwegian Chargé (Arentz) WASHINGTON, February 26, 1920. SIR: I beg to acknowledge the receipt of your note of February 9th in which you inform me of the occupation of the island of Jan Mayen, in the Arctic Ocean, by Christoffer Evensen Ruud, a Norwegian citizen, during an expedition in August, 1917, for the purpose of prospecting for ore and minerals, to establish a station for catch of animals, and to start seal oil manufacturing and ore washing. I have taken pleasure in communicating this information to the appropriate branch of this Government. Accept [etc.] For the Acting Secretary of State: 857.014/2 ALVEY A. ADEE The Norwegian Minister (Bryn) to the Secretary of State WASHINGTON, April 21, 1922. MR. SECRETARY OF STATE: Acting under instructions from my Government I have the honor to inform Your Excellency that Mr. Hagbard Ekeroll, Civil Engineer, in a telegram from Jan Mayen of January 16, 1922, has reported to the Department for Foreign Affairs at Christiania, that he in the name of the Norwegian Meteorological Institute (Det Norske Meteorologiske Institut) has annexed, with a view to permanent occupation, a territory of the unowned and up till now uninhabited Island of Jan Mayen in the Arctic Ocean, situated about 71 degrees north latitude and 8 to 9 degrees west longitude. The territory is to the West bounded in a line pointing the true South from a sign of annexation on the southern side of Wallrossgat to a sign of annexation at the Drivvedbukten; to the East the territory is bounded in a line pointing the true W. N. W. from a sign of annexation at the Presidentklippen to a sign of annexation at the northern end of the Nordlagunen; otherwise the territory is surrounded by the ocean. The part of the territory which is situated between the Kalbeierinsel and the Turnbuent has been occupied since August 8, 1921, by the Geophysical Expedition which has been conducted by Mr. Ekeroll, and the whole territory as above described has been occupied since November 12, 1921. During the summer and the fall of 1921 a wireless station has been erected on the territory. I avail myself [etc.] H. BRYN 857.014/2 The Secretary of State to the Minister in Norway (Swenson) No. 66 WASHINGTON, November 9, 1922. SIR: The Department encloses for your information copies of notes dated February 9, 1920, and April 21, 1922,20 from the Norwegian Legation at this capital relating to the alleged occupation and annexation by subjects of Norway of the island of Jan Mayen, situated in the Arctic Ocean between Norway and Greenland. The question of the nationality of this island has recently been considered by the Department, but the information in its possession has not permitted a definite decision in the matter. You are accordingly requested to make discreet inquiries whether the Norwegian Government in fact claims the ownership of the island, and if so, you will submit to the Department, if possible, a complete statement of the facts on which its claim to ownership is based. I am [etc.] For the Secretary of State: ALVEY A. ADEE 857.014/4 The Minister in Norway (Swenson) to the Secretary of State No. 244 CHRISTIANIA, July 5, 1923. [Received July 18.] SIR: Referring to the Department's No. 66, of November 9, 1922, (File No. 857.014/2), relating to the alleged occupation and annexation by subjects of Norway of the island of Jan Mayen, I have the honor to enclose herewith copy, with translation, of a note from the Foreign Office, dated June 30, 1923, in reply to mine of December 5, 1922, inquiring whether the Norwegian Government claims the ownership of the island and requesting a complete statement of the facts on which the claim of ownership is based. I have [etc.] [Enclosure-Translation] LAURITS S. SWENSON The Norwegian Minister for Foreign Affairs (Michelet) to the American Minister (Swenson) CHRISTIANIA, June 30, 1923. MR. MINISTER: In a note dated December 5th last regarding the occupation and annexation by the Norwegian Meteorological Institute 20 Supra. 145231-vol. II-38-48 of a part of the island of Jan Mayen you state that your government has recently considered the question of the nationality of this island and that in order to enable it to arrive at a definite decision in the matter it desires additional information. In that connection you desire to be informed if the Norwegian Government claims ownership of the island. In reply I have the honor to state that in conformity with the general view relative to the international status of the island the Norwegian Government is of the opinion that it should be considered as "terra nullius". It has so stated in a note of April 21, 1922 communicated to the Secretary of State of the United States through the Norwegian Minister at Washington, in connection with the occupation of Jan Mayen in the fall of 1921 by the Norwegian Government institution: The Norwegian Meteorological Institute. It has also expressed these views in its notes to other governments on that occasion. On the other hand the Norwegian Government assumes that there cannot arise any question of the annexation of the island by any other power, in as much as no other country has even approximately as great interests to safeguard there as Norway; interests which appear for instance from the fact that the Norwegian Meteorological Institute has established a wireless meteorological station on Jan Mayen. The timely warnings of the violent Northwest storms which sweep through the open space between Spitsbergen and Iceland have already proved of extraordinary value for Norway, particularly for the fisheries along the Norwegian coast; and also for Norwegian agriculture. It has been of great value to Northern Europe as a whole. By these means, which have been generally commended by foreign meteorological institutions as well as by foreign governments, Jan Mayen has been enlisted in the service of international weather forecasting and a great gap in the international observation system has thus been filled. I may add that the island possesses great value for Norway as a station for Norwegian sealers in the operations which they have conducted in these waters for so long a time. Accept [etc.] C. F. MICHELET ARRANGEMENT BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND NORWAY FOR RECIPROCAL EXEMPTION FROM INCOME TAX ON SHIPPING " 811.512357 Shipping/19 The Norwegian Minister (Bryn) to the Secretary of State [Extract] 21 WASHINGTON, February 13, 1922. MR. SECRETARY OF STATE: With reference to Your Excellency's note of December 21, last,22 in regard to the American Revenue Act for 1921, Paragraph 8, Section 213, containing exemption from taxation of ships of a foreign country granting equivalent exemption to citizens of the United States, I have the honor, by order of my Government, to inform Your Excellency that foreign shipping is at present in fact exempt from taxation in Norway. The afore-said provision being incorporated in the new American Revenue Law the Norwegian Government begs to express the hope that such measures may be taken as will have the effect of making this provision effective not only from January 1, 1921, but also will cover the years 1917, 1918, 1919 and 1920. I avail myself [etc.] H. BRYN 811.512357 Shipping/21 The Norwegian Minister (Bryn) to the Acting Secretary of State WASHINGTON, February 28, 1922. Mr. ACTING SECRETARY OF STATE: With reference to my note of February 13, last, in which was stated that foreign shipping is in fact exempt from taxation in Norway I now have the honor to inform your Excellency that, according to information received from my Government, the Norwegian taxation acts of August 18, 1911, contain the following provision: "The question whether foreign steamship-companies are to be taxed for operating a service of liners on Norwegian ports and in case to what an extent such a taxation is to be imposed, is to be decided by the King". There has, however, not been issued any regulations under this provision about taxation of foreign steamship companies operating a service of liners on Norwegian ports. As to taxation of other foreign shipping trade on Norwegian ports no provision is contained in our taxation acts. "For identic notes, dated June 16 and 17, 1920, submitted severally by Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, see under Denmark, vol. I, p. 881. 29 Not printed; the note is the same, mutatis mutandis, as the note of Dec. 21, 1921, to the Danish Minister, vol. 1, p. 886. |