851.515/190
The Acting Secretary of the Treasury ( Gaston ) to the Adviser on International Economic Affairs ( Feis )
Dear Dr. Feis: Receipt is acknowledged of your letter of October 15, 1943 regarding the types of currencies to be used in the friendly [Page 1046] countries in Europe and the conditions under which they would be employed.
As you know, Sir David Waley of the British Treasury has been pressing for some time for what he states to be the strong views of London in favor of the use of some form of currency issued by the French Committee of National Liberation. On the several occasions on which he has expressed these views to the Treasury, we have pointed out to him that the use of such a currency raises important political questions on which we are guided by the State Department. During a recent discussion with the Treasury, following the receipt of your letter of October 15, Sir David Waley indicated that he had raised with your Department the possibility of using some form of Comité franc currency with an appropriate overprint such as “Allied Military Currency.” We expressed the view that it seemed to us that this also raised the same type of political considerations on the basis of which the rejection of a Comité franc without such overprint was premised.
Since the proposal contained in our letter of October 7 with respect to the use of an Allied Military franc in France was premised upon the fact, as indicated by representatives of the State Department in meetings of the American section of the Combined Civil Affairs Committee, that for political reasons Comité franc currency would not be acceptable, it will be appreciated if you will advise us whether we are correct in assuming that these same political considerations apply to the use of such a currency with an overprint of the nature suggested by Sir David Waley.
Needless to say, as we have previously indicated to you with respect to Comité franc currency, we recognize that the question of the use of Comité currency with or without an overprint is governed by political considerations whose significance must be evaluated by your Department.
Since this matter is most pressing, we would appreciate a decision by your Department as soon as possible.
Very truly yours,