810.5018/219a: Airgram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the Dominican Republic (Warren)
A–435. Your telegrams 201 and 205 of June 18 and 215 and previous correspondence regarding the Overland Supply Route.
The situation which impelled the several interested Governments last year to cooperate in supplying the populations in the Eastern Caribbean islands over the emergency “Land-Water Route” was of course the serious submarine menace to shipping. Fortunately the naval situation has now greatly improved, thanks to the concerted campaign to which each United Nation gave its share. There is, therefore, at present a reasonable assurance that adequate supplies of foodstuffs can be maintained in this area without resort to the emergency Route.
The respective agencies of this Government,6 in the interest of safety, economy and efficiency are accordingly resolved to suspend the stock piling and transportation of foodstuffs for the emergency Route.
The commitments which have been made for road improvements between Port-au-Prince and Ciudad Trujillo will, of course, be fulfilled. From information now available it appears that it will be a matter of several months before those projects are completed.
Please inform the Foreign Office in the above sense and add that the acceptance by the various Governments of the plans for the Overland Route, and their unfailing cooperation in its operation are a cause for gratification for all concerned. The positive advantages that are accruing from the improved shipping situation in the Caribbean will be shared by all the Caribbean Republics. In making the decision to suspend the operations on the emergency Route, made possible by the success of the anti-submarine campaign, we have examined all phases, including the effect on the countries immediately affected. The road improvement program originally undertaken as an emergency will now constitute a permanent contribution to the transportation system of the Dominican Republic.
For your own background: The arrangements which have been made by the Food Distribution Administration for the leasing of warehouses and refrigeration space, et cetera are such that they can be suspended in most instances either immediately or at the expiration of one month’s notice according to contractual provisions. This [Page 103] is also the case with respect to the contract between the Federal Surplus Commodities Corporation (of which the FDA7 is the successor) and the Haitian Transportation Company which similarly does not require a long period of notification. Present plans call for the continued movement of foodstuffs along the Route bringing the present storing and trucking operations to a close on or about the first of August 1943. The agencies are being asked to inform our Missions of the steps they propose to take.
A similar message is being sent to Habana and to Port-au-Prince.
- Telegram No. 205 of June 21 not printed.↩
- Anglo-American Caribbean Commission, Commodity Credit Corporation, Food Distribution Administration, and Office of Lend-Lease Administration. Representatives of these agencies and of the Department of the Interior agreed to the wording of this airgram.↩
- Food Distribution Administration.↩