File No. 861.48/45

The Ambassador in Great Britain ( Page ) to the Secretary of State

[Telegram]

3541. Your 2658, January 4, 4 p. m. The commission sees little hope of being able to help Poland for the following reasons:

(1)
The Germans continue to remove native food from Belgium and the British Government has just informed commission that unless Germans give immediate and satisfying guarantee to cease removing food, British will withdraw consent to let more food pass in. No satisfactory guarantee is expected. There is therefore reason to fear the commission’s work will soon be stopped. The Germans have stripped Poland as they have Belgium.
(2)
Commission can not get ships. For lack of ships only one-half supplies have lately gone into Belgium.
(3)
Belgian relief costs $2,000,000 a week. Poland would cost as much. Money for Belgium is got from various governments. It is doubtful if governments would supply sufficient money for Poland. Private gifts at most amount to little. All food and all money given Belgian relief in the-United States since the war began fed Belgium only three weeks.

Hoover has sent man [to] Serbia to investigate.

American Embassy