891.24/3942/7
Mr. Willis C. Armstrong of the Office of Lend-Lease Administration to the Chief of the Division of Near Eastern Affairs (Ailing)
Dear Mr. Alling: This will acknowledge receipt of your memorandum of recent date23 with respect to the shipment of wheat to Iran. This has been the subject of considerable discussion with various authorities, with the result that approximately 7,000 tons of wheat are currently scheduled for loading on five Army vessels during February and March.
It is recognized that this does not in any sense constitute a permanent solution of the problem and it is understood from recent conversations with Mr. Jernegan that the State Department will take up the matter with the War Shipping Administration with the objective of having a ship assigned to carry the necessary wheat from Australia to the Persian Gulf.
From the point of view of the Russian supply program, it proved impossible to make any space available during the current month inasmuch as loadings in February have been markedly reduced, to a point below clearances in preceding months. This has been due to increased Army loadings as well as to the current shortage of ships.
If the wheat for Iran can be made available in Australia, it would seem that the assignment of vessels for this purpose should be definitely urged upon the War Shipping Administration. If there is any way in which this office may be of service to you, please do not hesitate to call upon us.
Very truly yours,
- Presumably memorandum of February 5, supra.↩