Office of the Historian

856A.20/33: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Minister to the Netherlands Government in Exile (Biddle), at London

Washington, September 20, 1941—5 p.m.

Netherlands Series No. 27. Your 21, Sepetmber 5, 1 a.m. Please transmit the following message from the President to Her Majesty the Queen of the Netherlands:

“I have received your message informing me of your agreement that measures should be taken to safeguard the important bauxite mines in Surinam and inviting me to send immediately United States forces into Surinam on the basis of the following considerations:

  • ‘1. The American forces to be sent to Surinam shall be withdrawn as soon as the present danger to the mines is removed and, at the latest, at the conclusion of hostilities;
  • 2. As in the case of the British forces now guarding Curaçao together with Netherlands forces, the American troops in Surinam would be placed under Netherlands command;
  • 3. Their maintenance in accordance with the standards of the United States forces shall be paid for by the Netherlands, supplies being found as far as possible on the spot;
  • 4. Their task shall be limited to helping the Netherlands authorities and forces in taking all measures for insuring the complete safety of the bauxite mines and bauxite transport and that, consequently, the administration of Surinam shall in no way be interfered with;
  • 5. All public declarations by American authorities shall be in keeping with these points.’

I take pleasure in confirming to you that the conditions set forth above are acceptable in principle to the Government of the United States. Accordingly, it would be appreciated if the necessary instructions could be given at once to the Governor of Surinam, as forces of appropriate strength and composition are now prepared for immediate embarkation. As these forces would include aircraft it is requested that the instructions to the Governor include authorization for the use by the United States of the Paramaribo (Zanderij) airport.

With reference to the desire of the Royal Netherlands Government that the United States forces in Surinam be placed under Netherlands command, I suggest that since the United States is not a belligerent United States forces cooperate with the Netherlands authorities in the defense of the bauxite mines and the approaches thereto under the general direction of the Netherlands authorities. It may be understood that if this arrangement is agreeable to the Netherlands Government, all details can be arranged locally between the Netherlands authorities and the United States military commander.

I also wish to urge most earnestly that Your Majesty’s Government invite the Government of Brazil, in terms and under conditions relating to entry, occupation, and withdrawal identical with those applicable in the case of this Government, to participate in the defense measures contemplated in Surinam. I make this suggestion because the close and friendly relations which exist between the United States [Page 816] and Brazil, and particularly because the nature of the inter-American commitments for continental defense to which Brazil and the United States have subscribed, as well as the consultations which have taken place between the two Governments with respect to defense problems of mutual interest in that area, are such as to make it imperative from the standpoint of this Government that Brazil be asked to join with us in any action such as that now contemplated. Moreover, Brazil is the only one of the American republics having a common frontier with Surinam.

In addition to the very real assistance which Brazilian armed forces would render, their presence in Surinam jointly with the forces of the United States would serve to a large extent to nullify the inferences which unfriendly propaganda would surely draw from the dispatching of United States troops alone to the mainland of the South American Continent. If you agree to this suggestion, I should be glad to have the United States Ambassador at Rio de Janeiro collaborate with the Netherlands Minister there, after the latter has presented the invitation to the Brazilian Government, in explaining the purpose and conditions of the proposed action and urging at least token Brazilian representation.

I suggest that we continue to observe the greatest degree of secrecy with regard to the proposed arrangements until an appropriate time and occasion for publication shall have been agreed upon between our Governments. However, I have no objection whatever to prior communication of our plans to the British Government.”

For your personal and strictly confidential information and in order that you may be fully aware of the importance which this Government attaches to the sending of an invitation to the Brazilian Government, the status of negotiations between the Governments of Brazil and the United States regarding the defense of the Western Hemisphere are such as to make it vital that Brazil be asked to join with the United States in any military action involving Surinam.

Hull