841.248/498
The Under Secretary of State (Welles) to the Australian Minister (Casey)
My Dear Mr. Minister: The President has asked me to send to you for transmission to Mr. Menzies his reply to Mr. Menzies’ personal message of June 14. The President’s reply is quoted below:
“Mr. Prime Minister: I acknowledge with appreciation your further personal message on the subject of possible United States assistance to the Allied Governments. I have given your message my most earnest and most friendly consideration.
“I am fully aware that the Allies are facing a critical situation, the gravity of which has even increased since the receipt of your message, and I do not fail to appreciate the dangers to the United States and to the world implicit in an Allied defeat. For these reasons I have repeatedly made clear to all the world that the whole of American sympathies lies with the Allied Governments. In my speech of June 1019 I announced the intention of the United States Government to extend to the Allies the material resources of the nation. Pursuing that policy with every effort, this Government has made it possible for the Allies to obtain in this country quantities of arms and munitions and airplanes.
“In my message to the Premier of France on June 15 I stated:
“‘In these hours which are so heart-rending for the French people and yourself, I send you the assurances of my utmost sympathy and I can further assure you [Page 13] that so long as the French people continue in defense of their liberty which constitutes the cause of popular institutions throughout the world, so long will they rest assured that matériel and supplies will be sent to them from the United States in ever-increasing quantities and kinds.
“‘I know that you will understand that these statements carry with them no implication of military commitments. Only the Congress can make such commitments.’
“In a like manner and subject to the same limitations I want to assure you that so long as the peoples of the British Commonwealth of Nations continue in the defense of their liberty, so long may they be assured that matériel and supplies will be sent to them from the United States in ever-increasing quantities and kinds.
“Franklin D. Roosevelt.”
I am [etc.]
- At the University of Virginia; for text of speech, see Department of State Bulletin, June 15, 1940, p. 635.↩