811.20 Defense(M)/3485: Telegram
The Ambassador in Turkey (MacMurray) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 8—8:39 a.m.]
374. Last night British Ambassador advised me that during evening Foreign Minister had called him in and informed him as follows:
Clodius had that morning told Numan Bey that Germany was prepared to respect Turkey’s contractual obligation to sell entire chrome output to Britain up to January 1943 but demanded that Turkey sign secret exchange of letters, obligating herself to supply in exchange for war materials furnished by Germany under trade agreement, half of her production (and not less than 150,000 tons)43 in 1943 and again in 44; if Turkey would not agree there would be a rupture of trade negotiations. He had insisted that this should not be communicated to British Ambassador but Numan had refused. Cabinet had immediately considered matter and decided to offer counterproposal as follows:
Provided Germany will now furnish war materials already asked for in connection with proposed trade agreement, Turkey will undertake to furnish Germany 100,000 tons each in 1943 and 4, in payment for such further military supplies as Turkish Government may designate from time to time during that period. Min[iste]r argued to Hugessen that such undertaking would not effectively commit Turkey to furnish chrome inasmuch as it would be open to Turkish Government when time came to specify war materials that Germany [Page 959] would not be in a position to furnish. He also argued that in any case, giving of chrome to Germany would not necessarily diminish amount available to Britain and ourselves, as production could be increased correspondingly if mining equipment and particularly overhead cable lines and trucks could be furnished. (It is of course absurd to suppose that Turkey, whose production has decreased this year and which in view of quasi-mobilization has had to introduce forced labor in some mines, could double output by ’43.)
2. In view of extreme urgency of matter I feel warranted in exercising broad discretion conferred on me by your 164, September 21 and have concerted with H[ugessen] that he should see Min[iste]r this morning to protest against proposed arrangement and to say that he had consulted me and that I proposed to call and present certain views. He has now done so and tells me that he first asked Minr to withhold action until British Government could state its views but was told that that was impossible as negotiations had already dragged on too long. In reply to question he was told that Turks were making their counterproposal as a “take it or leave it” proposition. He asked whether Minr could at least confirm definitely his assurance that supplies available to Britain and United States would not be diminished and Saraçoğlu unhesitatingly promised this on condition that mining equipment and particularly overhead cable carriers and trucks could be furnished. He says Minr almost in so many words gave him to understand that Turks are prepared to accept German demands with idea of tiding over time until 43 when they feel situation will have developed to point at which Germany will either be in a position to take what she wants or else in such a position that Turkey can afford to find some basis for not carrying out agreement. When H mentioned my intended call Minr rather heatedly exclaimed “are Britain and United States combining to force us into war.”
3. I am awaiting appointment with Minr when I shall hand him memorandum of following tenor:
“While on one hand Government of United States has no direct contractual rights in matter purchase of chrome from Turkey it has on other hand no obligation in matter either of according to Turkish Government favored position with regard to purchase of American materials or of supplying war materials to that Government under so-called Lease-Lend Act.
American Government has in fact allowed to Turkish Government a position of high priority in both these respects, has already made available to it important quantities of materials and is taking steps to supply them in great quantity.
American Government has been enabled to supply war materials without cost to Turkish Government by virtue of provisions of Lease-Lend Act authorizing it to give such assistance to any country whose defense President deems vital to defense of United States. President [Page 960] has construed that authorization as justifying aid to Turkey by reason of her definite identification with cause of democracies through her alliance with Great Britain and of her determination to resist aggression and to give no aid to aggressor nations.
In fulfilment of its program of assistance to democracies American Government is making every effort to expand industrial energy of United States and concentrate it upon production of war materials. For this purpose it is essential that there should be available for American industry bulk of present chrome output of Turkey; and when American industry reaches its peak production of war materials in 1943 it may be expected to require all chrome Turkey can produce. American Government can not contemplate without anxiety prospect that its program of assistance to democracies, by which Turkish Government is now benefiting, should be jeopardized by action which for benefit of a country at war with democracies would cut off or reduce supply of chrome at a time when it would be more than ever essential.
Secretary of State on September 22 advised Turkish Ambassador in Washington of serious repercussions that could not but arise at once in event that Turkish Government should allot to Germany any portion of chrome output of Turkey.”
Repeated to London.
- In telegram No. 376, October 8, 10 p.m., the Ambassador in Turkey reported that the German delegation had accepted a counterproposal for a maximum of 90,000 tons each year without mention of half of the Turkish production (811.20 Defense (M)/3497).↩