840.48/5046: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant) to the Secretary of State
[Received 9:05 p.m.]
3615. Your 2703, July 21, 7 p.m. and 2780, July 25, 4 p.m.23 The letter was delivered to Mr. Eden on July 25 and dated the same day. The following is text of a letter in reply from Mr. Eden dated August 12 and received today:
“Thank you for your letter of 25th July about the proposed Allied meeting.
I am most grateful to you for your help and I am very glad to know that the United States Government consider the proposal to be of prospective usefulness.
In order to explain more fully what we have in mind I should perhaps add that if the proposed Allied meeting produces satisfactory results we hope to approach the United States Government in due course with a view to establishing jointly with His Majesty’s Government and later with the other producing or stock holding countries an organization to examine the problem of the re-provisioning of Europe from the point of view of arranging for supplies to be made available. We also hope that eventually information and views might be exchanged between this organization and the proposed Allied bureau. Nor have we overlooked the needs of neutral and enemy countries which might well require consideration and also the needs of countries outside Europe, such, for instance, as China.
[Page 108]I trust that this additional explanation of our ultimate intentions will help to meet to some extent the points which you make in your letter but I am, of course, very ready to give you the necessary assurances in regard to all the matters which you raise. We shall in particular bear in mind the points enumerated in the fourth paragraph of your letter and our intention is to keep the United States Government fully informed of the course of the discussions at the forthcoming meeting and of the work done by the proposed bureau. You can also assure your Government that we will consult them before any concrete plans are decided on.
I have altered paragraph 5 of the resolution to meet the point raised in the fifth paragraph of your letter and I enclose an amended draft for the information of the United States Government. I should be grateful if you would let me know as soon as possible whether they have any further comments on this point.
Finally, I should say that His Majesty’s Government are most grateful to the United States Government for authorizing a statement to be made on their behalf at the meeting. The interest shown by the United States Government in these plans will certainly be a source of great satisfaction to allied representatives as it is to His Majesty’s Government.”
Following is text of amended draft resolution communicated to me with Mr. Eden’s letter.
“The Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Governments of Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Greece, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, the U.S.S.R. and Yugoslavia and the representatives of General de Gaulle, leader of Free Frenchmen agree:
- (1)
- That it is their common aim to see that supplies of food and raw material should be made available for the post-war needs of their territories.
- (2)
- That while each of the Allied Governments and authorities will be primarily responsible for making provision for the economic needs of its own territories, their respective plans should be coordinated in a spirit of collaboration for the successful achievement of the common aim.
- (3)
- That they welcome the preparatory measures which have already been undertaken for this purpose and express their readiness to collaborate to the fullest extent of their power in pursuing the action required.
- (4)
- That, accordingly, each of the Allied Governments and authorities should prepare estimates of the kinds and amounts of foodstuffs and raw materials required for the re-provisioning of its territories and the order of priority in which it would desire supplies to be delivered as soon as circumstances permit.
- (5)
- That the re-provisioning of Europe will require the most efficient employment after the war of the shipping resources controlled by each government and of allied resources as a whole, as well as of those belonging to other European countries and that plans to this end should be worked out as soon as possible between the Allied Governments and authorities, in consultation as and when appropriate with other governments concerned.
- (6)
- That a bureau shall be established by the Government of the United Kingdom under the direction of Sir Frederick Leith-Ross which they could consult in framing estimates of their requirements and which would collate and coordinate these estimates.”