867.24/147
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Secretary of
State
[
Washington
,] March 7, 1941.
The British Ambassador, accompanied by the Australian Minister,30 called at his
request.
[Page 830]
With respect to the Ambassador’s former inquiry as to whether this
Government would aid Turkey direct or through Great Britain, the
Ambassador said that he had unexpectedly come in contact with the
President and brought this matter up at that time. He added that the
President had indicated it would probably be preferable for us to
aid Turkey through Great Britain.
The Ambassador handed me a copy of a telegram (attached), received
from his Government, relative to the matter.
[Annex]
The British Embassy
to the Department of State
Telegram from London dated
February 23rd, 1941
As you are aware, under the Anglo-Franco-Turkish Treaty of Mutual
Assistance special agreement annexed thereto we are under an
obligation to provide Turkey with war material of 25 million
pounds including material urgently required in order to enable
her to withstand an attack against her European frontiers. As
originally signed the Treaty contained a suspense clause whereby
Turkey was absolved from fulfilling her obligations until such
time as she had received her urgent armament requirements. The
stipulations of this clause were declared fulfilled in January
1940 largely as a result of the agreement on definite programme
of armaments deliveries drawn up between a Turkish Military
Mission and the French and British Governments in December 1939.
Following the collapse of France our delivery of certain items
e. g. anti-aircraft guns has been delayed and in certain cases
(e. g. fighter aircraft) suspended indefinitely. French supplies
ceased altogether and Turkey has failed to obtain such vital
defence equipment as anti-tank guns, machine guns, and
anti-aircraft guns promised in large quantities by the French
but never delivered.
- 2.
- Hithero in spite of repeated offers of assistance recently
made by His Majesty’s Governments to send British
anti-aircraft units and air squadrons to Tunkey the Turkish
Government has taken up the attitude that the assistance
which, we have so far given is not sufficient to enable her
to risk action that might provoke a direct German attack.
She adds that it might, have been different if the armaments
promised her had been supplied but as things are she does
not to withstand successfully a German attack.
- 3.
- It is impossible above all to any appreciable extent to
supply Turkey from Empire sources and it is therefore
necessary if she is to be induced to intervene in the near
future that she should be able to [Page 831] draw on the United States.
The sure knowledge that American aid will be given may well
tip the scale in a crisis.
