600.119/2214: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Chargé in France ( Bliss )
6870. For McFadden [from War Trade Board]: No. 553. Embassy’s 6490, December 25, your 725. We approve the proposal that licenses to trade with residents of the occupied territory shall be granted by the proposed Inter-Allied Committee in the occupied region, but only upon condition that such licenses are issued in accordance with the policies formulated by the Paris Inter-Allied Committee upon which we have a representative, and that such policies will be formulated subject to our approval. With this understanding we would issue here a general enemy trade license authorizing all persons in the United States to trade and communicate with persons residing in the occupied territory, provided they secure the appropriate permit from the Inter-Allied Committee which will sit in the occupied region. This would leave the details of the control of such trade and communication in the hands of said Inter-Allied Committee. We hope that no announcement with regard to the commencement of trade relations with persons in the occupied territory will be made by the French Government before we have an opportunity to adopt and announce similar action in this country. In the case of Alsace-Lorraine, we were not notified until sometime after the issuance of the French decree of December 6. Please inform us in advance of any proposed announcement by the French Government and also advise us of the proper designation of the Inter-Allied Committee which will sit in the occupied region so that we may be prepared to issue our announcement with full details.