856A.20/77a: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Minister to the Netherlands Government in Exile (Biddle), at London
Netherlands Series No. 40. Ambassador Caffery has informed us that the Brazilian Government has accepted the Netherlands invitation.
As you were informed in our no. 39, we agreed to the wishes expressed by the Netherlands Foreign Minister that the United States troop movement be postponed for about a week for the reasons given in paragraph 4 of your 37, October 31, and our military and naval plans have been drawn accordingly.
The War Department is now anxious to commence the troop movement on or about Saturday, November 8, and is arranging for naval protection for the Army transports on that basis. We earnestly hope, therefore, that the Netherlands Government will send appropriate instructions to the Governor of Surinam in strict confidence [Page 830] in order that the combined army and navy operations may go forward as contemplated.
Should the Foreign Minister raise the point that the time is too short to permit adequate arrangements being made for the reception of our troops, including housing, you may say that the Force will be self-contained, will take with it such housing as may be immediately required, and will at first require only a minimum amount of assistance from the local authorities in Surinam.
Upon hearing from you that the foregoing time table is agreeable to the Netherlands Government, and that instructions have been sent to the Governor of Surinam, we will inform you and the American Consulate in Paramaribo of the time our forces may be expected to arrive. Their time of arrival will also determine the date and hour of release of the proposed joint United States–Netherlands statement.