103.9164 London: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant)
2808. From Land69 and Morse70 for Reed,71 WSA.72 SD 3665. Re Embassy 277773 and related cables. 1. With the reservation that (A) there will be reserved for later determination questions of title and right to possession and third party claims and (B) Allied Governments shall acquire possession of recaptured vessels assigned temporarily for operation by Governments of registration subject to obligation to release vessels and make adjustments in accordance with (A) above, you are authorized to join with the British in presentation of memorandum to Allied Ministers. The State Department has permitted us to give this authorization pending settlement of differences between British Foreign Office and that Department stated in memorandum of October 22.
2. The understanding is that the Combined Chiefs of Staff will have to approve the arrangements for transmission to Supreme C in C74 as stated in Leathers’ letter of February 9th,75 penultimate paragraph.
3. Referring paragraph 2 of your Embassy’s 2777 we agree to the principle of joint action stated therein.
4. In regard to MWT draft instructions,76 particularly part IV, we are anxious to have your views. [Land and Morse.]
- Vice Adm. Emory S. Land, War Shipping Administrator.↩
- H. T. Morse, Assistant to Administrator, War Shipping Administration.↩
- Philip D. Reed, Chief of United States Mission for Economic Affairs in London.↩
- War Shipping Administration.↩
- Telegram No. 2777, April 5, not printed.↩
- Commander in Chief.↩
- Lord Frederick James Leathers, British Minister of War Transport. Letter of February 9 not found in Department files.↩
- Ministry of War Transport; draft instructions not found in Department files.↩