840.50/5–1044
The Counselor of the British Embassy ( Marris ) to the Director of the Office of Wartime Economic Affairs ( Taft )
Dear Mr. Taft: Thank you for your letter of 19th April suggesting that we should in the near future discuss the problems arising out of the necessity for redirecting the economic policy of the British and American Governments towards the neutrals immediately following the surrender of Germany or at such time as physical communication between Germany and the neutrals is rendered impossible by military action. We communicated this suggestion to the Foreign Office who would be very interested to know the lines on which the Department [Page 137] are at present thinking about this problem. We should therefore welcome an opportunity of discussing the matter with you in the near future. I understand that Wyndham White2 has spoken to Merchant3 about arranging a meeting for this purpose and that Merchant will let us know what would be a convenient time for you.
In the meantime, the Foreign Office have authorised us to inform you that the British representatives at Ankara, Stockholm, Madrid and Lisbon were recently asked to report on the effect on the economies of the countries in which they respectively reside of the cessation of abnormal British wartime purchases. Supplementary instructions have subsequently been sent to them and also to the British representative at Berne to report on the probable effects of the cessation of trade with Axis Europe in general and Germany in particular. The British representatives have been asked (a) to draw special attention to supplies now derived from those sources which are vital to the countries’ economies and (b) to give estimates of minimum requirements.
In these circumstances, the Department may wish to consider sending instructions to the United States representatives in Turkey, Sweden, Spain, Portugal and Switzerland to prepare analogous reports in collaboration with their British colleagues in order that our two Governments may be similarly documented.
Yours sincerely,