867.24/521: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Chargé in Turkey (Kelley)
635. The appropriate authorities of this Government have been giving sympathetic consideration to the urgent desire of the Turkish [Page 741] Government to purchase or charter ships to transport wheat from the United States to Turkey. This desire has been stressed to the Department since the arrival here of Sevki Alhan,67 and was emphasized to the Under Secretary by the Turkish Ambassador some weeks ago. At that time Mr. Welles pointed out that there was no matter in which he was more deeply interested or regarding which this Government was more anxious to be of assistance to the Turkish Government, but that the Turkish authorities would of course realize the urgent need of the United States, for war purposes, to avail itself of all shipping resources.
It appears that the various efforts of the Turks to charter neutral shipping have encountered serious difficulties, and the Embassy here feels that the only practical solution would be for this Government to authorize the purchase or charter by Turkey of two or three vessels under our control. Such action would be at a very considerable expense to our war effort. If this Government should now go beyond the undertaking it has already given to sell Turkey any reasonable amount of wheat and should also undertake to provide tonnage to transport it, we could do so only on the basis of a specific inducement which would compensate for the serious sacrifice we would make at this moment. Turkey may be able to offer such inducements in connection with strategic materials.
We are confident that the Turkish Government will appreciate our urgent necessities and the numerous refusals we have been forced to make to other friendly States whose demands for tonnage are similarly pressing. We want to accommodate Turkey in this matter, but can do so only on the basis of a distinct quid pro quo.
You may, in your discretion, discuss this matter in the friendliest spirit but in all frankness with the Turkish authorities. You may consider it preferable to await the return of Ambassador Steinhardt, with whom the subject was discussed at some length.
- The Turkish Minister.↩