Foreign Relations of the United States, Conferences at Washington and Quebec, 1943

842.24/244

The Lend-Lease Administrator (Stettinius) to the President ¹

Washington, July 30, 1943.

Memorandum for the President

Thank you for your memorandum of July 29² enclosing Lauchlin Currie’s memorandum to you of the 28th³ relative to creating a Joint War Aid Committee, United States and Canada.

Lauchlin Currie had informally discussed this with me and we feel the idea is sound and constructive. The proposed membership of the American side of the Committee is also satisfactory to us. I recommend that the proposal be accepted and the Committee established promptly.

I am returning the enclosures which were forwarded with your memorandum.

E R Stettinius Jr

[Enclosure 1]

The Presidents Administrative Assistant (Currie) to the President

Washington, July 28, 1943.

Memorandum for the President

Re: Proposed Joint War Aid Committee, U.S. and Canada.

As you know, Canada now has a mutual aid program corresponding to our lend-lease. The need for coordinating these two programs is rather urgent. For example, Soong went to Canada and got more or less of a commitment from the Canadians to supply a long list of items (a) without consultation with us, (b) without knowing what we were sending and (c) without knowing whether they could be flown into China or not. One Canadian explained to me that we were looking after Stilwell’s needs and they were looking after the Chinese unrestricted needs.

I proposed therefore that a coordinating committee be set up so that we could go over various countries’ requirements with the Canadians for the purpose of deciding who should supply what before they negotiated directly with those countries. I cleared this idea with all the interested parties, Canadian and American, and it met with general assent. Mr. Hopkins has approved and asked me to handle the matter together with General Burns.

If you would OK this proposal I could then arrange with Steve Early for a simultaneous release here and in Ottawa of the attached statement.

Lauchlin Currie

[Enclosure 2]

Draft White House Press Release

[Washington,] July 28, 1943.

Joint War Aid Committee, U.S. and Canada

There is as of today being instituted a Joint War Aid Committee, U.S.–Canada, to consider problems of mutual interest arising out of the Canadian Mutual Aid and the American Lend-Lease programs.

The initial membership of the Committee will be as follows:

• U.S. Members:
  • Chairman, Major General J. H. Burns, Executive, Munitions Assignment[s] Board—United States and Great Britain.
  • William L. Batt, Vice Chairman, War Production Board.
  • Arthur B. Van Buskirk, Deputy Administrator, Office of Lend-Lease Administration.
  • Brigadier General Boykin C. Wright, Director, International Aid Division, Army Service Forces.
• Canadian Members:
  • Chairman, E. P. Taylor, Deputy Member, Canadian Section, Combined Production and Resources Board.
  • L. B. Pearson, Minister Counselor, Canadian Legation.
  • J. B. Carswell, Director-General, Washington Office, Department of Munitions and Supply of Canada.
  • Major General Maurice Pope, Chairman, Canadian Joint Staff.

1. This memorandum and its enclosures were forwarded to the Department of State under cover of the following memorandum by the President’s Secretary (McIntyre) dated July 31, 1943: “Respectfully referred to the Secretary of State for recommendation to the President.”
2. Not printed.
3. Enclosure 1, below.