840.48 Refugees/1627a: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Kennedy)
359. For Pell from Myron Taylor.
“With reference to our telephone conversation yesterday please convey the following confidential message from me to Winterton in response to his telegram of yesterday.48
“I feel that the Intergovernmental Committee as such cannot directly sponsor the private foundation, which must be organized by private international interests with a nominal capital. It must be a completely independent entity and should carry on all further relations with the Internal Trust in Germany. This foundation would, of course, not be designed or set up for the purpose of financing individual settlement projects. The financing of such projects should be provided for by special organizations set up ad hoc in each instance.
“From time to time we have had many discouragements, none greater than the failure of the British group so far to cooperate wholeheartedly with the American group. A tentative suggestion was made to use the Council for German Jewry, an established corporation, for this purpose, with the addition of a new group of Christian directors to the existing group. This would have the advantage of enabling prompt action, and would be an immediate aid in the London meeting with the German representative. This organization has an outstanding Christian executive director, which immediately met another condition of the proposals. The American group have not so far favored this suggestion, but are working upon a plan to set up a new and independent organization for the purpose. In its initial form at least it would not have more than a nominal capital, and that would be provided primarily by the Jewish organizations and individuals, as I believe it would be very difficult to find, except as the result of a carefully designed campaign, any substantial contribution from other sources. The American group are telegraphing the London group today their first suggestions for a formula covering the new foundation. They indicate to us that the British group has been reluctant to come to New York. I am frank to confess that the New York group has been equally reluctant to go to London, but I believe that once the formula is agreed upon action can be taken with reasonable promptness. Signed Myron Taylor.”
- See telegram No. 654, supra.↩