861.24/1032a: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Standley)
Washington, August 13,
1942—midnight.
230. From McCabe for Faymonville.
- 1.
- We have reviewed requisitions which have been filed under Second Protocol categories for forging equipment and presses, machine tools, electric furnaces, industrial equipment, testing and measuring equipment, hard alloy and cutting tools and find that quantity which [Page 717] has been requested is greatly in excess of Protocol commitment and also that Protocol commitment is exceeded by quantity expected to become available during Protocol period. We have advised Belyaev that further requisitions for items to be delivered under enumerated categories during Protocol period cannot be accepted by Lend-Lease. If instructions are given to provide for withdrawal of items of equivalent value exception will be made for unforeseeable requirements of highly critical nature. In such instances it will be necessary in order to minimize waste to take into consideration the stage of production of the items withdrawn. Consideration will be given to individual cases as they arise if it should become necessary to place in production’ an item requiring considerable length of time to produce.
- 2.
- We have been told by Belyaev that his government should understand that Pacific shipments are in addition to and not included in the 4,400,000 ton figure. The 60,000 ton figure used during recent conversations for Pacific is not a limitation but was used as planning objective based upon experience. Up to whatever quantity can be moved on the Soviet’s ships goods will be made available for Pacific in accordance with Protocol. Please correct the Commissar’s18 misunderstanding on this point.
- 3.
- The policy which has been enunciated in connection with procurement of items under Second Protocol is to assure that there shall be suitable and ample cargoes with which to load ships and at the same time to avoid wasting fabricating capacities or materials through creation of stocks which cannot be delivered. Arrangements will therefore be made for production within Protocol limitations of U. S. schedule and also within limit of overall tonnage for which U. S. is responsible pursuant to program to be materially agreed upon. However, should stocks ready for shipment plus expected deliveries exceed shipping possibilities we shall arrange to control or divert production so as to maintain reasonable maximum cargo accumulation. The Soviets will be consulted should such action become necessary and in special cases exceptions to this rule will be made. In order to establish the importance for procurement needs we plan this week to review with the Soviets all non-military requisitions. Pursuant to recently revised policy which includes three northern convoys before the end of October cargoes are now being loaded and future cargoes are being prepared.
[Remainder of telegram deals with (1) corrosion of ammunition salvaged from a vessel; (2) review of Soviet requests for spare parts which were obsolete; (3) administrative details.]
- [McCabe]
- Hull
- A. I. Mikoyan, People’s Commissar for Foreign Trade.↩