Office of the Historian

811.20 Defense (M)/5152: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Chargé in Turkey (Kelley)

[Extract]
Washington, February 3, 1942—2 p.m.

34. …

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

3d. The Department is considering recommending preclusive purchasing of other Turkish products.39 Please telegraph your recommendations [Page 709] as to the possibilities of buying the Turkish products in which Germany has shown the greatest interest, including hides, wool and possibly tobacco. The Department has had discussions with Ambassador Steinhardt40 on the subject, but pending his arrival in Ankara the Department desires this information in order to formulate its plans. In your reply please specify amounts of stocks and the production for a 12-month period for each commodity the purchase of which you recommend, and give your estimates of the prices which in your opinion would have to be offered to obtain contracts for such stocks and such future production.

Hull
  1. Other than antimony discussed in paragraph 1 and copper discussed in paragraph 2. For a discussion of the preclusive buying program in Turkey at this time, as formulated by the British Government, see W. N. Medlicott, The Economic Blockade (London, 1959), vol. ii, pp. 242 ff., in the series History of the Second World War: United Kingdom Civil Series.↩
  2. Laurence A. Steinhardt, appointed Ambassador to Turkey; previously Ambassador in the Soviet Union.↩