Foreign Relations of the United States Diplomatic Papers, 1941, The British Commonwealth; The Near East and Africa, Volume III

867.24/183

Memorandum by the Acting Chief of the Division of Near Eastern Affairs (Alling) to the Under Secretary of State (Welles)

[Washington,] September 29, 1941.

Mr. Welles: I believe that you may wish to ask the British Chargé to call to discuss the question outlined in Mr. Edminster’s attached memorandum.⁹³ Briefly the situation is this: Despite the fact that the British Embassy here has been urging for some time that we give Lend-Lease material to Turkey, it has just been revealed that simultaneously the British Supply Council had requested the War Department to “defer indefinitely” the financing of practically all of the items on the Turkish list. The result has been that practically all of the Turkish requests have been disapproved.

At this time when Dr. Clodius^93a is in Turkey negotiating a trade agreement⁹⁴ and when von Papen has just returned, it seems a pity that we are unable to tell the Turks that we are going to furnish them with at least some of the supplies which they require. In this connection you will recall that when fifty large guns, supplied under Lend-Lease reached Turkey about ten days ago the Turkish Foreign Minister expressed his thanks in the warmest terms to Ambassador MacMurray. As matters now stand the Turks probably feel that it is this Government which has held up the furnishing of supplies whereas actually the cause is due to the action of the British Supply Council. In the circumstances it seems particularly important that this whole question should be straightened out as soon as possible. It would be particularly helpful if within the next few days, while the Turks are still negotiating with Dr. Clodius, we could inform them through Ambassador MacMurray that approval had been given to furnishing a substantial portion of the supplies which they require. This would seem to involve no risks since if within the next few weeks the Turks do not stand fast to their engagements to the British, the supplies intended for the Turks can later be diverted to other sources. You may also think it desirable to inform Mr. Winant of these developments so that he can take the matter up in London. If so, we shall be glad to draft appropriate instructions to that end.⁹⁵

Paul H. Alling

93. Not printed.
94. Carl Clodius, Deputy Director of the Economic Policy Department of the German Foreign Ministry.
94. For correspondence on this subject, see pp. 936 ff.
95. Marginal note: “O. K. for last 2 sentences—S[umner] W[elles]”