File No. 103.97/222

The Food Administration Representative at London ( Sheldon) to the Food Administrator ( Hoover)1

[Telegram]

No. 176. British pork programme was practically settled at 35,000 tons per month up to November 1, from then at 85,000 tons. The sole questions remaining to be settled are finance and shipping. As far as finance goes, you could possibly bring pressure on Oscar Crosby to procure same but the Ministry of Shipping yesterday turned down Ministry of Food’s estimated requirements after October because they could not guarantee sufficient shipping towards end of 1918. If you do not adopt suggestions in Ministry of Food’s cable No. 12582 to Granet3 and if you do desire immediate decision on pork programme for remainder 1918, as outlined above, can you bring any pressure on shipping authorities for the provision of sufficient tonnage? I think that Italians would purchase 15,000 tons pork monthly from the United States of America to be stored there until they can find shipping thinking they might have better chances, of securing shipping if these purchases were already made in America. Suggest you sound Oscar Crosby on finances for this if you approve this plan. Have wired Durand urging him press French to take large share pork products. In your cable No. 95, do you include lard in your estimate of pork products?

[ Sheldon]
  1. Transmitted by the Chargé in Great Britain to the Secretary of State, for Hoover.
  2. Not printed.
  3. Sir William Guy Granet, British Director-General of Movements and Railways, member of the British War Mission to the United States.