861.24/12–644
The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador of the Soviet Union (Gromyko)
Excellency: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of October 30, 1944 containing your Government’s reply to and selections made from the proposals by the United States Government for a Fourth Protocol under the Master Lend-Lease Agreement of June 11, 1942.
The Government of the United States is most grateful for the expression of appreciation for the aid rendered by the United States to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics for the conduct of the war against the common enemy.
In regard to the specific items offered by the United States Government for the Fourth Protocol period and the selections made there from by the Soviet Government in its note under acknowledgment, I have to inform you of the following:
(a) In the cases of those items in which the selections of your Government coincide with the specific offerings made, the United [Page 1155] States Government will endeavor to provide the quantities selected.
(b) The United States Government accepts the reductions made by the Soviet Government in regard to those items for which the selections were less than the quantities offered.
(c) A careful study of the enclosure to the note under reference indicates that in certain items the selections made by your Government are in excess of the amounts offered and that some items included in the selections were offered under the provisions of the proposed amendment to the Master Agreement of June 11, 1942.
In regard to the selections made in excess of the offerings in my Government’s note of September 20, 1944, I regret to inform you that the United States Government cannot commit itself to furnish the additional quantities selected.
Concerning the items in the United States Government’s offerings which were specifically indicated as coming within the provisions of the proposed amendment to the Master Agreement, I am certain your Government understands that the production of the items referred to in the proposed amendment cannot be undertaken until the agreement has been signed unless your Government wishes to proceed without the financial assistance of the Lend-Lease Act.
The Government of the United States is pleased to note that the Soviet Government is giving consideration to these proposals and that a reply on this question may be expected in the near future.
(d) In a few instances the selections of your Government cannot be reconciled with the United States offerings. We are prepared to make every effort to clear up any misunderstandings, but cannot at this time go beyond our offerings.
Note is also taken of your Government’s request that the Government of the United States obligate itself to provide additional shipping so that it may be possible to ship from North America more than the 5,700,000 short tons set forth in the preamble to the United States schedule attached to the proposed Fourth Protocol. While it is quite probable that the additional tonnage your Government requests may become available to augment the shipping program to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the demands of the United Nations throughout the world are of such a nature that it will be impossible to make a firm commitment of the type suggested. It is appreciated, however, that the shipment of supplies requested in the special list of equipment and materials48 transmitted to Ambassador Harriman on October 18, 1944 is a separate matter, and your Government will be advised subsequently as to the shipping to be made available to aid in the transportation of such supplies as are made available from this list.
[Page 1156]I understand that the Canadian Government has invited the interested Governments to Ottawa for the purpose of signing the Fourth Protocol Agreement. I trust that it will be possible to sign the Protocol in the near future.
Accept [etc.]
- Not printed.↩