867.24/181
Memorandum by the Assistant Secretary of State (Berle) to the Chief of the Division of Near Eastern Affairs (Murray)
Mr. Murray: I refer to the directive given that priorities to Turkey should be placed on the same basis as the priorities accorded to the other American republics. This directive, of course, holds.
Under date of August 4 [2] the British Ambassador talked to Mr. Welles81 along the lines of the attached cable.80 (see Mr. Welles’ memorandum to Mr. Murray, attached82).
You will note that nothing was said about the original directives, merely that we would consider any representations which the British made as to where the limited amount of military matériel and munitions could be used to best advantage.
It may be noted that the communication handed by Mr. Eden to Winant indicates that the British, in that note were proposing to do more than merely consider the advantageous disposition of matériel. By section four they were “diverting to the United States many of Turkish military requirements, some new and some old obligations outstanding from the time of the signature of the Anglo-Turkish [Page 888] alliance.” The Anglo-Turkish alliance covered a multitude of subjects, by no means limited to immediate military needs.
And, therefore, if views are presented about what should or should not be shipped to Turkey, consideration should be given as to whether a present need is being taken care of, or whether some previous outstanding obligation of Britain toward Turkey is being “diverted” in our direction.
This is the first information we have had about any such “diversion” by which we are supposed to fulfil previous outstanding obligations of Britain to Turkey.
Meanwhile, we have some commitments towards Latin American countries, which so far as we are aware, are “undiverted” and indeed, there is no one to divert them to.