Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1943, General, Volume I

740.00113 European War 1939/815: Telegram

The Chargé in the United Kingdom (Matthews) to the Secretary of State

London, January 21, 1943.
[Received January 21—10:30 p.m.]

550. Embassy’s 7108, December 15, and 6796 [6797], December 1, section 2, and Department’s 6286, December 11.¹² At a meeting at the Foreign Office on January 13, which was attended by representatives of the Allied Governments in London, the French National Committee, Britain, Australia, China, U.S.S.R., and an observer from this Embassy, arrangements were made for the establishment of the sub-committee of experts referred to in the telegrams cited above. Its title is “The Inter-Allied Sub-Committee on Acts of Dispossession.” It was decided:

(1) That the sub-committee should be composed of one representative of each of the parties attending the meeting. Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, and India do not desire representation on the sub-committee.

(2) That any other government of the United Nations should be at liberty to send a representative to a meeting of the sub-committee on prior notification.

(3) That each Government represented on the sub-committee should prepare for the sub-committee a statement of its existing national legislation under which transfers and dealings of the kind referred to in the declaration would be or could be invalidated.

(4) That each Government should prepare for the sub-committee a statement on the methods of dispossession known to have been practiced in its territories. This statement is to follow a draft list of headings which will be sent by air pouch.¹³

The first meeting of the sub-committee will take place on February 1st and in accordance with the arrangement indicated in Department’s 6286, December 11, and Embassy’s 7108, December 15, Spiegel¹⁴ will attend it. Other decisions of less immediate importance will be found in the minutes of the meeting which will be despatched by air pouch.¹⁵ The Department will observe that the paragraph numbered (3) above requires action.¹⁶

Matthews

12. Ibid., pp. 87, 81, and 86, respectively.
13. Not printed; it was transmitted to the Department by the Chargé in his despatch No. 7860, February 23; received March 10.
14. H. R. Spiegel, American representative on the sub-committee.
15. Minutes of meeting not printed; they were transmitted to the Department by the Chargé in his despatch No. 7860, February 23.
16. The Department’s instructions No. 2719 of May 18 and No. 2766 of June 1, 1943 (not printed), transmitted copies of a statement on existing national legislation of the United States under which transfers and dealings of the type referred to in the declaration might be invalidated (740.00113 European War 1939/855, 887); full text of the United States memorandum is contained in Appendix A of Interim Report of the Sub-Committee on Acts of Dispossession transmitted to the Department by the Ambassador in the United Kingdom in his despatch No. 9758 of June 24, 1943 (not printed); for a summary of the U.S. statement, see p. 449.