868.51/1664

Memorandum of Conversation, by the Assistant Secretary of State (Berle)

The Greek Ambassador75 came in to see me, at his request.

After a little general conversation, he said that he was interested in bringing up again the problem of financial assistance to the Greek Government. He had submitted figures to NE76 and had discussed the matter with them, and he wondered how this might work out.

He said that when I had discussed this matter with him before, I had suggested that he might also consider the problem of assistance to the Greek Government in handling the Greek refugees, which were a constant drain on their finances. He wondered whether the two should be considered separately.

I said we were presently reviewing the Greek financial situation and in the event that something were worked out along that line it would presumably include the expenditures for relief. If, however, it were decided that nothing could be worked out, then we were prepared to consider separately the possibility of assistance to them for relief purposes.

A. A. B[erle], Jr.
  1. The Greek Legation was raised to the status of an Embassy on October 6, 1942.
  2. Division of Near Eastern Affairs.