811.20 Defense (M) Turkey/349a: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the United, Kingdom (Winant)52
1052. As the Embassy is aware, the formal phase of the negotiations regarding chrome with the Turkish authorities has been passed, and in the coming weeks the principal concern of the British and ourselves in Ankara will center on the day-to-day supervision of operations under the British contract and frequent technical discussions with institutions such as the Eti Bank53 and the Ministry of Communications. It is the view of Ambassador Steinhardt, fully shared by the Department, that a representative of our Embassy in Ankara should be assigned exclusively to this task, and that he should work in close liaison with the British Embassy to the end not only that we should be fully informed of developments, but in a position to share the day-to-day responsibility in the matter.
As the Embassy is aware, the American Government has played a somewhat secondary part in the chrome negotiations to date. However, the day-to-day problem of keeping Turkish chrome out of German hands is one in which we are prepared and anxious to take a full and active part and one in which we feel we must in view of financial liability. The Department requests that you discuss the matter with the appropriate British authorities, pointing out this Government’s preoccupation with chrome. Not only do we consume the Turkish chrome ourselves, but we have an equal interest with the British in its preclusive and financial aspects. One reflection of this interest was the dispatch of C. D. Jackson to Ankara last Fall for the sole purpose of participating, under our Ambassador’s direction, in the chrome negotiations. You might further point out that it is our intention to assign an officer of the Embassy in Ankara who will concern himself exclusively with the operations under the contract, control of stocks and related transportation problems. It might then be possible to suggest that the British make a similar appointment at [Page 1155] their Embassy in Ankara, so that the two together might function as a team, in daily contact with each other. The Department is of the opinion that in order effectively to accomplish our aim, it will be necessary for London to send to Ankara instructions in the above sense.