File No. 656.119/224
The Ambassador in Great Britain ( Page) to the Secretary of State
[Received 11.08 a.m.]
9088. War Trade Board [from Sheldon]:
No. 295. Referring my 290. As regards the suggestion that Dutch public opinion would be placated if embargo could be lifted on quarter’s rations of few commodities, Cecil informs me that he considers this suggestion inadvisable believing that so long as the Dutch want to get something out of us they are not so likely to quarrel with us and if we should give them commodities which might tend even in a small measure to render them independent of us, they might be more abusive of the Allies than otherwise. He finishes his letter by stating that he rather regrets the generosity of the United States in promising straight away 100,000 tons of grain and says that he would feel reluctant to go beyond that.