848A.24/183a
The Secretary of State to the British Ambassador (Halifax)
The Secretary of State presents his compliments to His Excellency the British Ambassador and has the honor to inform the Ambassador that the American Minister in Pretoria has been instructed to deliver a message from the President to Prime Minister Smuts concerning the question of supplies to the Union of South Africa. It is proposed in the message that goods be supplied in substantial quantities to the essential war industries of the Union; that, if the British and South African Governments agree, a supply council composed of representatives of the three Governments concerned be established in the [Page 182] Union to carry out the arrangements to furnish these goods; and that the South African Government agree to utilize the maximum proportion of its resources directly for war purposes.
If this proposal is accepted by the South African Government, and if the British Government should favor a joint consideration with the American Government of the supplies to be furnished to the Union, the Secretary of State hopes that the steps necessary to implement such an arrangement may be discussed by representatives of the three Governments.