811.20(D) Regulations/5128: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Turkey (MacMurray)
201. Your 402, October 28, 4 p.m. License applications for exports to Turkey must be accompanied by a statement from the Turkish Embassy regarding the need for the material and showing that a navicert has been issued. This procedure was instituted some time ago, with respect to all countries with which no other special arrangements were in effect, in order to assure that available material for export from the United States might be best distributed for the general defense effort.
However, the principal reason why difficulties have been experienced in obtaining goods for Turkey and all other countries is that supplies are increasingly restricted due to the enormous military demand. The demand for every one of the important metals largely exceeds supply, and it has been necessary to restrict consumption of all the metals for civilian uses in the United States and to limit their use increasingly to direct defense purposes. Machinery, steel, and a long list of other articles are now available for use within the United States, or for export, only on specific proof to the authorities controlling supply that the intended use of the material has an immediate connection with the defense effort. These scarcities show no sign of growing less and become greater with every increase in the program for ships, tanks, airplanes, etc. The difficulties of Turkish importers from the United States are shared by importers everywhere and by all industries in this country except those which are producing direct defense materials and ships.