File No. 600.119/1429b
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Great Britain ( Page)
1674. The Department and the War Trade Board feel the importance of there being in Paris an inter-Allied blockade organization competent to study and make authoritative recommendations on Swiss blockade matters and to keep informed on Spanish matters so as to assist the Inter-Allied Trade Committee in Madrid, the importance of which committee it is thought should be materially increased, and to cooperate with the Allied armies in France in respect to their needs in Spain. It is regarded as important that some such effort should be made to secure uniformity of blockade policy with respect to Switzerland and Spain. The Government of the United States has accepted in principle the idea of the creation at Paris of an inter-Allied committee such as is above indicated. The success of any such committee, however, depends very largely upon its personnel, and the Government of the United States regards it as essential to the setting up of a satisfactory committee that the British Government should be prepared to delegate as its representative thereon a blockade official competent to rank with the French Minister of Blockade and with Mr. McFadden, the personal representative of the chairman of the War Trade Board. You will [Page 1000] present the Foreign Office the foregoing views and urge upon the Foreign Office their acceptance thereof. Please show to Sheldon a copy of this cable.