868.51 Refugee Settlement Commission/72: Telegram

The Special Mission at Lausanne to the Secretary of State

463. Following repeated to Department as Athens’ 108, June 25, 7 p.m.

“Reference my 104, June 19, 5 p.m.25 Haskell returned today and recommended: first, no affiliation with League; second, no announcement of possible help to Greece until after investigation of commission [Page 346] which should make clear at beginning that any assistance will depend on whether Greece will use her resources to meet her obligations as determined possible by such commission; third, with American Red Cross stocks left over and great improvement in exchange and excellent crop prospects, Greek authorities can meet her needs including refugees until say November; fourth, important that Greek Government should immediately assume the responsibility heretofore carried by American Red Cross and set up necessary machinery. Any announcement tending to delay this or encourage procrastination with hope foreign assistance would be highly unfortunate 5 fifth, believe a few months facing realities by Greeks unaided best means determining net amount, if any, assistance from outside sources; sixth, therefore, commission should commence activities September at earliest; seventh, considerable harm already done by extravagant promises of loans and relief by various foreigners, especially Americans considerably delaying Greece from seriously attacking its own problems. Atherton.”

Grew
  1. Not printed.