867.24/201
The Lend-Lease Administrator (Stettinius) to the Secretary of
State
Washington, November 12, 1941.
Dear Mr. Secretary: On November 7, the
President found that the defense of the Government of Turkey was
vital to the defense
[Page 924]
of
the United States and requested me to work out details on a program
for Lend-Lease Aid with you and representatives of His Majesty’s
Government in the United Kingdom.
Attached is a procedure to be set up for accomplishing this and which
has been worked out in cooperation with the Near Eastern Division
and Mr. Winant of your department, and also, the representatives of
His Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom.
If this procedure meets with your approval would you please sign the
attached original and return it to this office? We have enclosed an
extra copy for your files.
Sincerely yours,
[Enclosure]
Procedure Adopted for Lend-Lease Aid to
Turkey
The Turks will get aid from the United States in two ways: (1)
Lend-Lease aid by retransfer from the British; (2) Direct
Lend-Lease aid on a cash payment basis.
I. Retransfer
Procedure
- 1.
- The Turks submit lists of their requirements to the Office
of Lend-Lease Administration and to the British, who will
then meet with the Office of Lend-Lease Administration and
the Turks to discuss them.
- 2.
- After the British and U. S. authorities have discussed the
items preliminarily with the Turks, the British will submit
all Turkish requisitions, indicating in the “Remarks”
section of the Requisition Form whether they approve or
disapprove of each particular Turkish request. The Office of
Lend-Lease Administration will give full consideration to
all British objections but reserves the right, in
conjunction with our military authorities, to make the final
decision on all Turkish requests.
- 3.
- No Lend-Lease procurement agencies will delay any Turkish
requisitions passed for procurement without prior
consultation with the Office of Lend-Lease
Administration.
- 4.
- All Retransfer Directives covering items for Turkey shall
direct the British to retransfer them to the Turks, and not
to withhold them for British use without prior consent by
the Lend-Lease Administrator, except in cases of urgent
military necessity. In the event of such urgent necessity,
the British will promptly notify the Office of Lend-Lease
Administration.
- 5.
- The Office of Lend-Lease Administration will send copies
of all Transfer Directives concerning aid for Turkey to the
Allied Requirements Section of the British Supply Council,
and to the State
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Department for distribution to the Turkish Embassy in
Washington and to the American Embassy in Ankara.
- 6.
- The British will inform OLLA the date when supplies
destined for Turkey actually leave the United States,
including the commodities concerned, the name of the vessel,
the port of departure, and when feasible, the port of
destination, and the approximate date of arrival. OLLA will
make this information available to the proper authorities in
the State Department when desired.
II. Cash Purchasing
- 1.
- The Turks will make all purchases of defense articles in
the United States through Lend-Lease. Turkish Lend-Lease
cash reimbursement requisitions will be submitted directly
by the Turkish authorities.
- 2.
- The British will be sent copies of those requisitions and
will be consulted by the Office of Lend-Lease Administration
as to the justification for such purchases. However, the
final decision will be made by the Office of Lend-Lease
Administration.
- 3.
- The Turks will be informed that it may be possible, if
they so desire, to institute a partial cash payment
Lend-Lease program.
Approved
____________
State Department
E. R. Stettinius,
Jr.
_____________
Lend-Lease
Administration
