840.50/8–3144: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant)
7117. Department approves the proposed text of drafts A and B referred to in Embassy’s 7097 of August 31, 1944 with the following amendments:
Draft A.
Paragraph 1: Delete “the problem of the organization” and insert “the post-hostilities problems of coordination” and delete “after liberation”.
Paragraph 2: Substitute for the first three sentences of this paragraph the following: “Upon the liberation of United Nations’ territories and the occupation of enemy territories in Europe a shortage and maldistribution of all forms of transport material and a general dislocation of the transport systems may be expected. A central control authority will be necessary to ensure the fair allocation of new equipment for United Nations’ territories in Europe and the redistribution of displaced equipment and equipment at present under enemy control”.
In the last sentence of this paragraph, change “relief and military” to “military and relief”.
Paragraph 4: Delete “the immediate establishment of”.
Paragraph 5: In second sentence, insert after “propose that”, “the annexed draft agreement be the basis for” and delete “there should be”; after “His Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom” insert “on its own behalf and acting on behalf of the Government(s) of the United States of America (and USSR)”.
[Page 782]Paragraph 6(B): Substitute the following: “Estimates of requirements for transport equipment need to be reviewed and developed and recommendations made to the appropriate supply authorities with respect to allocations”.
Paragraph 6(C): Delete balance of first sentence after “detailed” and insert “operational plans must be prepared and staff requirements should be considered”.
Delete the balance of paragraph (C) and substitute a new paragraph as follows: “(D) Arrangements need to be made to ensure that (1) there will be continuity in transport control between the military and post-military periods, and (2) the organization when established has available information concerning the conditions of transport obtaining during the military period”.
Paragraph 7: Substitute the following for the first sentence: “With these considerations in mind the Governments of the United Kingdom, United States of America (and USSR) have agreed to establish immediately an Interim Commission on European Inland Transport to provide for the period which will elapse until a European transport organization can be established”.
Paragraph 8: Delete “provision” and insert “Commission’s acquisition”.
Paragraph 9: In the second sentence delete “upon which it is hoped that” and substitute “to which it is hoped”.
Draft B.
Alternative paragraph 4: In the first sentence delete “the immediate establishment of”. In the third sentence, “inland transport” should be in small letters.
Your draft B is based upon the assumption that the Soviet Government will not be participating on the Interim Commission. However, since our joint communication to the Soviet Government has suggested that the USSR might appoint an observer to the Interim Commission, an addition to paragraph 7 might be necessary to meet this contingency. We submit the following if applicable to the circumstances: “The Government of the USSR has agreed in principle to the establishment of the Interim Commission and initially will appoint an observer to the Interim Commission”.
In the event that the Soviet Government is neither prepared to participate formally in the Interim Commission or to appoint an observer we feel that as a minimum we should have an expression of Soviet concurrence to the establishment of the Interim Commission by the US and UK Governments. In such an event we submit the following alternative text: “The Government of the USSR has agreed in principle to the establishment of the Interim Commission on European Inland Transport”.
[Page 783]With reference to Paragraph 10 of draft A, we assume that the communication would be addressed to the Governments of Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Greece, Luxembourg and the French Committee of National Liberation.
The Department approves the procedure suggested by the Embassy for submitting the drafts to the Soviet Government for its concurrence.
The Department hopes to be able to inform you of the name of the United States Commissioner within a few days. The person previously considered by the Department is not available.