File No. 656.119/873

The Chargé in Great Britain ( Laughlin) to the Secretary of State

[Telegram]

3679. War Trade Board [from Sheldon]:

No. 1857. Referring to our cable No. 1831, Embassy’s No. 3553, dated November 8, 1918. It seems advisable to increase some of the [Page 1564] proposed rations in order to relieve the industrial depression in Holland. We now propose the following rations:

(1)
Bread cereals—225,000 tons of wheat and rye, 100,000 tons of inferior cereals, and 50,000 tons of rice, tapioca, sago, starches, etc., total 375,000 tons;
(2)
Oils and fats—80,000 tons of oils and fats from which is to be deducted the amount of butter produced over 20,000 tons;
(3)
Fodder—200,000 tons of maize, 100,000 tons of other fodder-stuffs, total 300,000 tons;
(4)
Fertilizers—40,000 tons of phosphate rock, 22,000 tons of pyrites, 45,000 tons of nitrates, subject to increase if Nitrate Executive agrees, total 107,000 tons;
(5)
Pyrites—an additional ration of 5,000 tons of pyrites for technical purposes;
(6)
Nickel—25 tons of pure nickel, 50 tons of nickel alloys, 10 tons of nickel wire, 8 tons of nickel salts;
(7)
Copper sulphate, 250 tons;
(8)
Clover seeds no fixed ration, but imports will be permitted, subject to exchanges;
(9)
Soda ash and caustic soda, no rations fixed now but imports may be permitted if these commodities are available.

Proposed rations for aluminum, rubber, and tobacco are stated in our cable No. 1831, Embassy’s No. 3553, November 8, 1918. Rations for commodities other than those mentioned above remain the same as proposed in January, 1918. Please send comments as quickly as possible.

Laughlin