Office of the Historian

103.9164: Telegram

The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant) to the Secretary of State

London, August 18, 1944—11 a.m.
[Received 11:39 p.m.]

6666. To Land, WSA, for Morse from Reed by Brown.47 Following are developments in connection with Inter-Allied Shipping Conference since you left.

1.
Weston will be BRFT member48 of Planning Committee. Others so far nominated are: Belgium, H. R. Rueff; Canada, Langley; Norway, [Page 680] Simonsen; Poland, Mozdzenski; Speekenbrink likely to be Dutch nominee. Please advise name of United States member.
2.
French have informally suggested they should be represented by observer at Planning Committee meetings. Weston told Anduze-Faris that they would undoubtedly be kept informed but held out no hope that they could have an observer, saying this was a matter about which all the signatory governments would have to be consulted. Opinion of MEA50 and Allison, with which Ministry agrees, is that French should not have an observer but should be kept generally informed.
3.
Denmark would also like to be represented by an observer. We feel they should merely be kept informed. If we accept Denmark as observer we would also have to accept France. Please advise your opinion on both these points.
4.
You will doubtless have already heard from the State Department on the subject of discussions with the Swedes. Foreign Office agree that these should be postponed.
5.
We are considering how and when UNRRA51 and the Combined Boards should be given details of the agreement. It is felt here that it would probably be desirable for officials of UNRRA in Washington and London to be informed quite soon and that we should clarify our ideas as to the relation between UNRRA and UMEB52 probably before the Montreal meeting.53 Preliminary thought in MEA is that the “paying” governments should present their own claims for shipping direct to UMEB and that UNRRA should be a claimant for shipping only for the requirements of the non-paying countries for which it is directly responsible. Programs presented by the paying countries would of course not be accepted by UMEB unless they had approval of UNRRA and Combined Boards.
6.
MWT have prepared a paper containing suggestions as to form of planning and allocation machinery of UMEB. This was revised in discussion with Weston today and revised draft will be forwarded to you tomorrow. If you agree this paper might be presented at first meeting of Planning Committee.
7.
British suggest preliminary meeting of Planning Committee might be held August 24. Suggestions for detailed agenda will follow shortly. General subjects which might be discussed are as follows:
(a)
Paper referred to in paragraph 6 above as agreed with you might be presented.
(b)
We would propose that there would be a subcommittee of the Planning Committee to recommend machinery for dealing with rate [Page 681] questions; this committee to be on a technical level and to consist of United States, United Kingdom, Norwegian, and Dutch representatives to meet when United States and United Kingdom have formulated proposals to lay before [it]. We all hope Mann54 can come to London as soon as possible for necessary United States/United Kingdom advance consultation.
(c)
We would propose a subcommittee of the Planning Committee to recommend machinery for dealing with ship warrant questions. Mann and Fraser55 could explain to Allies how United States and British systems work, develop with them methods appropriate to their own local conditions and the subcommittee could make recommendations for permanent machinery under the Executive Board to administer warrant problems.
(d)
Coastal shipping if you approve section 2(e) of paper agreed here on problems to be considered by Planning Committee might be basis of preliminary recommendation to Planning Committee.

Please advise your reactions to above and any developments your end. Also what are your ideas on how and when full text of Agreement should be made public?

Allison has seen this cable. Please inform Berle. [Reed.]

Winant
  1. Winthrop G. Brown, executive officer, Mission for Economic Affairs, American Embassy, London.↩
  2. W. G. Weston was head of the Foreign Shipping Relations Division of the British Ministry of War Transport.↩
  3. Mission for Economic Affairs, American Embassy, London.↩
  4. United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration.↩
  5. United Maritime Executive Board.↩
  6. The second session of the UNRRA Council was held at Montreal, September 15–27, 1944.↩
  7. John W. Mann, director, Division of Foreign Charters and Ship Warrants, War Shipping Administration.↩
  8. George D. Fraser, an official of the British Ministry of War Transport.↩