102.1/9–144: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant)
7081. From the Department, Treasury and FEA.
- “1. We consider the early adoption, by the Government to which you
are accredited, of the following gold policy to be of greatest
importance:
On their own behalf the Government of . . . . . will not acquire any interest in or receive for deposit gold in which any Government, entity or person in occupied territories or Axis countries and associated countries has an interest and will prohibit the receipt or acquisition of such gold by entities or persons within its jurisdiction. [Page 226] Moreover, the . . . . . Government will not permit the import for safekeeping or for storage in bond of gold in which any Government, entity or person in occupied territories or Axis countries and associated countries has an interest, nor will they permit their currencies or other currencies to be made available for or against gold already held in . . . . . for or on behalf of any such Government, entity or person.
- “2. You are authorized to commence negotiations with the Government to which you are accredited looking toward the immediate acceptance by that Government of the above gold policy. We are requesting the London Embassy to obtain the agreement of the British similarly to instruct your British colleague. Accordingly, unless you receive instructions to the contrary from us, you should wait until you have been advised by the American Embassy in London that instructions have gone forward from the British Government before proceeding with this matter. For your information, we have previously sent similar instructions to the American Legation at Bern.
- “3. It may be helpful in your negotiations to point out that careful studies both in Washington and London give ample evidence that all Germany’s own pre-war gold stocks were used up long ago and therefore all the gold now in the possession of or available to the Axis countries or associated countries must be presumed to be looted gold. Hence the further acquisition or importation of gold in which the Axis countries or associated countries have an interest will hamper the accomplishment of the policy announced by the United Nations on January 5, 1943 of restoring looted property to its rightful owners. Furthermore, any acquisition of, or transfer of title to, Axis-tainted gold will not be recognized by the nations who have subscribed to the Gold Declaration of February 22, 1944. Dealing in such gold will result in . . . . . being prevented from selling to any country which has joined in the Gold Declaration not only that gold but also other gold held by it which is located outside the territorial limits of the country to which the gold is tendered for sale. Consequently, the immediate adoption of the gold policy suggested above would be clearly beneficial to the long run economic interests of . . . . . .”