Office of the Historian

800.6176/515: Telegram

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

London, June 10, 1944—2 p.m.
[Received June 10—1:30 p.m.]

4647. Following separate conversations with Ascoli,25 Caine, Clauson, Franks,26 Fennelly,27 Figg, Van Mook,28 and Westermann, and after study of Department’s memoranda summarizing the views of American manufacturers, Lockwood suggests following 3-point program which probably would be acceptable by the British and Dutch as a desirable result of the exploratory rubber talks:

(1)
Announcement of creation of Anglo-Dutch advisory committee here which will cooperate with American Advisory Committee already announced.
(2)
Announcement that an agreed number of representatives of the two advisory committees will meet periodically, alternately in Washington and London, to discuss mutual problems.
(3)
Announcement of creation of dual cooperating secretariats, with a free interchange of information. It could be announced that Latin American countries would be invited to contribute full information to Washington secretariat and would be entitled to resulting exchange of information. Russia, France, and the British Dominions could be invited to contribute data to London secretariat and be entitled to exchange of information.

It could be made clear in the announcement after the exploratory talks that no international rubber committee was being formed at this time, but that the close cooperation of the two secretariats would ensure completely free exchange of information to all interested in rubber problem. It could be stated that if at some later date a more formal international committee should result from the cooperation and collaboration reached during this interim period, all other countries substantially interested in either rubber production or rubber consumption would be invited to join.

This 3-point program might overcome following valid objections increasingly realized here to creation wider international committee now: (1) American policy regarding future of synthetic not properly [Page 970] crystallized and responsibility for British postwar rubber policy not settled between Ministries concerned. (2) Until United States, British and Dutch determine own policies, it is considered increasingly here too early to organize a formal international committee on which representation would be of wide scope.

Three-point program, however, would ensure cooperation on international rubber problem through dual secretariats and definite agreement periodic alternating meetings between representatives London and Washington advisory committees. Program might be good interim solution acceptable both sides pending creation wider international committee.

Report number 255 this subject dated June 929 should arrive Department by courier late Tuesday June 13.

Winant
  1. Frank D. Ascoli, Director of Rubber, British Ministry of Supply; Director, Dunlop Malayan Estates Ltd.↩
  2. O. S. Franks, Second Secretary, Raw Materials Department, British Ministry of Supply.↩
  3. R. D. Fennelly, Under Secretary, British Ministry of Supply.↩
  4. H. J. Van Mook, Netherlands Minister of Colonies.↩
  5. Not printed.↩