103.9164: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant)
8177. SD 4073. To Reed for Chubb from Land by Morse. ReEmbs 8157, September 29. We understand from Shipping Mission here that revised memorandum on dry cargo allocation machinery has been submitted to Planning Committee and accepted with reservation that signatory governments can suggest alterations later. We are in general accord with revisions indicated in Embassy 8157. However we detect a tendency on the part of the British to delegate work and authority to special committees which in our opinion should be handled by London and Washington SEPC’s. In order to coordinate properly the work of both SEPC’s it appears essential that their respective organizational set-ups should be as nearly parallel as practical and not complicated by too great decentralization.
We also recommend a clause to the effect that the several national shipping authorities should regularly furnish the SEPC’s with forward estimates of availability of their tonnage in all loading areas. [Land.]
[The minutes of the meetings of the Planning Committee from September 20, 1944, to October 7, 1944, are not printed (840.70/11–2744). For text of the Committee Report, see U.M.A., Report of the United Maritime Authority Planning Committee, London, September/October 1944 (printed under authority of His Majesty’s Stationery Office by Keliher, Hudson and Kearns, Ltd., London).]