851R.01/43b
The Secretary of State to the Executive Director of the Board of Economic Warfare (Perkins)2
My Dear Mr. Perkins: Pursuant to directives which the President has given to me concerning the economic, political and fiscal questions which are developing in the wake of our Armies in North Africa (and similar problems which will develop throughout the world) an Office of Foreign Territories has been established in the Department of State. By agreement between the Secretary of Agriculture and myself Mr. Paul Appleby has been temporarily loaned to the Department of State to serve as Special Assistant to me and to take charge of this Office which has responsibility for dealing with all non-military matters arising as a result of the military occupation of territories in Europe and North Africa by the armed forces of the United Nations and affecting the interests of the United States.
Since the President has put this responsibility upon me, and since obviously the carrying out of the assigned functions calls for [Page 475] cooperative action so as to assure the effective and coordinated use of the resources of various governmental departments and agencies, I am writing to request your cooperation and assistance.
Specifically, Mr. Appleby has been charged with the responsibility of organizing a special reoccupation mission, which will be sent to North Africa at the earliest possible date, to assist Mr. Robert Murphy, Chief Civil Affairs Officer and for the present, by directive of the President, a member of General Eisenhower’s staff, in dealing with all non-military problems arising in that area. To assist Mr. Murphy in dealing with these questions, I shall greatly appreciate your detailing two competent members of your staff to accompany this special mission to North Africa. It is contemplated that the members of the mission will be assigned to the field only temporarily, for the purpose of getting the necessary work started. At an early date I shall probably request your assistance in recruiting personnel for more permanent staff assignment in North Africa.
In the case of the two representatives of the Board of Economic Warfare on the original and immediate mission, and the corresponding representatives of other agencies, their assignments will be temporary, though of varying and flexible periods. It is intended that they shall return to their duties in their respective agencies at the end of their present assignment. I assume, therefore, that you will wish them to retain in all respects their present status in the Board of Economic Warfare and that their salaries will continue to be paid by the Board of Economic Warfare in their capacity as employees of that agency. That is the plan which it is proposed to follow.
Since, on the other hand, it is essential that the members of this special mission be given appropriate status under the Department of State, they would be designated temporarily, for the duration of their respective assignments in North Africa, as Special Advisers on North African Affairs in the Office of Foreign Territories, Department of State; as such, appropriate instructions and travel orders will be issued to them by the Department, after consultation with your agency, and their travel and similar expenses, including per diem, would be paid by the Department from funds which have been made available by the President for this purpose. They will be given diplomatic passports.
The members of the aforementioned mission will report for duty in Algiers to Mr. Murphy, the Chief Civil Affairs Officer. They will be subject in all respects to his authority and they will work under the general direction of Mr. Murphy. Instructions prepared [Page 476] as required in consultation with the other agencies concerned in Washington will be issued to them by the Secretary of State through Mr. Murphy. Reports and other communications will be made by them through Mr. Murphy to the Secretary of State and to the Board of Economic Warfare or other agencies. As a matter of practice, outgoing telegrams would be headed, e.g., “For Murphy and Rosenthal”, and incoming telegrams would be headed “For OFT and BEW”. It is intended that men who somewhat later may be sent to replace, for a longer period but not on permanent assignment, the chief representatives of the Board of Economic Warfare in this service, shall have like status in all respects.
In the case of personnel which the Department may later request you to nominate for more permanent staff assignment in North Africa, it is intended that such persons shall be appointed in the Auxiliary Foreign Service, Foreign Territories Division, Department of State. Their salaries, however, will continue to be paid by the department or agency with which they are connected, and their tenure as employees will continue to be dependent on the decision of their respective departments or agencies.
I should appreciate your informing me promptly if the foregoing arrangements are agreeable to you so that no further time may be lost in completing the organization of this mission and despatching it to North Africa.
Sincerely yours,
- Similar letters were sent to the Office of Lend-Lease Administration, the Department of Agriculture, and the Treasury Department.↩