800.6354/280
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Assistant Adviser on International Economic Affairs (Stinebower)
| Participants: | Mr. Jesse Jones, Federal Loan Administrator. |
| Mr. Feis. | |
| Mr. Stinebower. |
Mr. Feis briefly reviewed the background of Anglo-American relations on tin in connection with the negotiation of Metals Reserve Company’s contract with Bolivian producers and in connection with the British-Bolivian tin negotiations.
He then gave Mr. Jones a copy of the Department’s Memorandum of March 25 to the British Embassy embodying the request, suggested by Mr. Will Clayton, Deputy Loan Administrator, that the British-Bolivian agreement be simplified so that it would merely provide that all Bolivian tin not supplied to Metals Reserve under its contract of November 4, 1940 would be exported only to smelters in the United Kingdom or in the United States.
He then added that the British had now come back again with an Aide-Mémoire of April 3 dissenting from this suggestion.
Mr. Jones read part of the Department’s Memorandum of March 25 and reiterated concurrence with the position expressed therein and expressed his dissatisfaction with the continued insistence of the British in this matter. He said that while this Government was [Page 488] engaged in giving extensive assistance to the British Government, the British on their part in this matter “kept nibbling at us like young ducks”. He said that he would reread with care the Memorandum of March 25 and would look over the British Memorandum of April 3, which he was informed is badly muddled, and added that he would be very glad to express his point of view directly to the British Ambassador or to Sir Frederick Phillips25 if they cared to call on him, as Sir Owen Chalkley26 had indicated to Mr. Feis that they might.