103.9164: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 4—4:02 p.m.]
8337. To Land, WSA, for Conway and Morse from Reed by Chubb. Referring SD 4060,2 we have carefully studied agreed memorandum and had preliminary conference with Meyer. This memorandum most helpful as guide to Anglo-American policy but it is our considered judgment, in which Meyer concurs, that it would be a mistake to include in the paper to be put before the Planning Committee any discussion of supply and requirements machinery as these are outside the scope of the UMEB. In general, it is our thought to present to the Planning Committee a simplified paper which merely deals with the machinery of allocating tankers on the basis of programmes cleared with the petroleum authorities before submission to the UMEB. We propose to incorporate in this paper a statement that any deficiencies in tonnage or any supply or requirement problems will be dealt with by the appropriate petroleum authorities outside the scope of UMEB. We feel that any other course would give rise not only to difficult questions as to the tanker paper and involve us in supply questions with which UMEB is not concerned but might also cause the already agreed dry cargo allocations paper to be reopened. We are meeting with British and Meyer tomorrow and will prepare a simplified paper along foregoing lines. Would be glad to have you cable any comment you may care to make. [Reed.]