811.20 Defense (M) Turkey/289: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant)
983. Your 698, January 27. Department and BEW are in complete agreement that discriminatory action with respect to British purchases of valonia and valex in Turkey should be made the subject of representations to the Turkish Government by the British Embassy in Ankara. Information as to the result of such representations would be appreciated when received.
With respect to the view expressed in the second paragraph of your telegram under reference to the effect that impairment of German purchasing power in Turkey arising from failure to deliver goods relieves the pressure on us to purchase commodities at excessive prices, both BEW and Department consider it safer to operate on assumption that German financial embarrassment may prove merely temporary, and in consequence we should vigorously utilize the present reduction in German activity in Turkish markets as an opportunity to strengthen our position. It is therefore the conclusion here that we should press our preemptive operations rather than relax them, and it would be appreciated if the Embassy would present this point of view to the Preemption Committee.