868.248/118
Memorandum by the Chief of the Division of Near Eastern Affairs (Murray) to the Assistant Secretary of State (Berle)
Mr. Berle: I have read with interest the memorandum of your conversation with the British Chargé d’Affaires on January 10 regarding planes for Greece.
With reference to the final Note, I may say that in a telephone conversation with Mr. Butler this morning he watered down considerably the picture he had previously given us as to the immediate availability of the Mohawk planes. He now says that he may have been too optimistic in that regard since some of the planes in question did not leave this country until about December 25 and that they are proceeding to Egypt by way of Capetown. It would thus appear that the planes which we had been given to believe were in Egypt or would arrive there imminently and could be flown without delay to Greece are not quite so near their goal.