Gunnar Knudsen to Woodrow Wilson

I feel it my dear duty to acknowledge the feeling of satisfaction and relief, which your message to our minister in Washington created with myself and my colleges.

Our commercial commission with Mr. Nansen as commander had already left for US, or else we might perhaps have stopped them. Anyhow they can do no harm and they are loaded with information which can be relied upon. It would have been heartless and meaningless to refuse import of grain into my country, in as much as we cannot produce sufficient to feed ourselves and have consequently nothing at all of agricultural products to send to Germany. How matters stand in this respect in Norway, you will readily perceive, when you are aware of the fact, that the whole area of productive soil in Norway is about 11 mill. dekar (1 dekar = 10 000 m), whereas norwegian setlers in North Dacota alone own about 35 mill. dekar.

Of course Norway is dependent on other countries for grain. Before the great war we got it from Russia and from Germany, but now we must seek to America and partly Australia.

Our export to Germany is under the pressure of the allies shrunk considerably to the offence of Germany, who in return are sinking our ships and drowning several hundred of our sailors.

It is hard to be a small nation under circumstances as under the present terrible war. To join the war would however be senseless, as the 3 small scandinavian countries would in case partake on opposite sides and the result would probably be a fight among themselves. All the world is sighing for peace even amongst the belligerent, but nobody can find the key. We all hope, that when US has taken active part in the war, you as a president for the coming peacecongress in Washington will take the matter in your own hands. The final peace we expect shall be durable and the intercourse between the nations for all future shall be based on law and justice, not force.

If this be the result the endless streams of human blood may not have been sacrificed in vain.

I beg to remain, dear president
Gunnar Knudsen.
Prime Minister of Norway