File No. 103.96/557
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in France ( Sharp)
4292. For McFadden [from Woolley, War Trade Board]:
No. 99. Referring further to Embassy’s 3912, May 16, your 98, also Embassy’s 3902, May 15, your 95, 3874, May 13, 6 p.m., your 91, 3840, May 10, 11 a.m., your 86, 3837, May 9, noon, your 85, for War Industries Board.1 After several preliminary discussions a written proposal about tungsten was submitted to representatives of French and British war missions here agreeing in principle to appointment of a central bureau, as provided in Metals Conference resolutions February 21, subject to certain modifications which upon receipt of further information from British and French representatives, were formulated and submitted to them on May 20. It was understood that these proposals would be communicated promptly to the respective Governments, and there seems no reason why agreement about tungsten should not be concluded as result of these proposals without awaiting arrival of commission Loucheur proposes to send to Washington.
As to other raw materials Baruch is prepared to negotiate similar agreements about them, and believes these negotiations would be greatly facilitated by authorizing representatives here of the other Governments to negotiate directly with him, but he has not proposed and does not insist as a condition of making these arrangements that negotiations for this purpose must be carried on through a conference here of delegates from the Associated Governments, as suggested in your 95, and he wishes this made clear to the Metals Conference, although he regards it as exceedingly important, as stated in Department’s No. 3609 to Embassy,2 that these questions be dealt with in [Page 579] direct negotiations here instead of through your committee, with the understanding that as soon as arrangements are agreed upon their execution will be intrusted to a joint committee sitting in, London or Paris. Woolley.