File No. 611.419/1850
The Ambassador in Great Britain ( Page) to the Secretary of State
[Received 9.15 p.m.]
7586. I am frequently instructed by you by cable or otherwise to support applications for export licenses for shipments to individual American importers of commodities whose export is prohibited. As examples I refer to your 5696, October 30; 5695, October 30; 5611, October 17; 5610, October 17; 5585, October 12.1 Such applications even with my support cannot expect to receive the same consideration on the part of the British authorities as would be the case should they [Page 983] form part of total stated requirements needed in the United States for any given time.
I have previously invited your attention to this matter in connection with certain commodities, see my telegrams Nos. 7477, 7260, 7249, 7216, 7062 and 7031,1 and now that the War Trade Board has been formed, which controls all imports into the United States, I venture to suggest as an improvement on the present procedure that all such applications should first be sifted by the War Trade Board in order that this board may group such appeals, with the result that we should be pressing only for licenses covering commodities essential to war purposes in the total amount required by the United States over a period of months. The present practice makes the British War Trade Department invidiously choose between firms in America without knowing their respective qualifications for preference and I fear this cannot but result in the United States not obtaining its proper share of the exportable surplus of such essential commodities. Furthermore, an equitable distribution of these commodities in the United States cannot be effected under the present system. Another reason for suggesting that recommendations for support of applications should come through the War Trade Board is to insure that a situation should not arise in which we might be pressing for the export of articles of which the War Trade Board in the exercise of its authority might prohibit the import.2
I would further respectfully point out that the details of the announcement of the formation of semi-governmental bodies, for the purpose of determining the general requirements of essential material and for the control and rationing of the imports of such, render the task of successfully pressing for our requirements much more difficult of accomplishment. Owing to the urgency of this matter I should much appreciate an early expression of your views and if possible an intimation in advance of the course decided upon.