845.515/549
The Secretary of State to the British Ambassador ( Halifax )
My Dear Mr. Ambassador: I desire to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of March 21, 1944 on the subject of this Government’s decision regarding silver in the quantity of 100 million ounces, which has been requested for use by the Government of India.
It is entirely acceptable to my Government that in lieu of the arrangement earlier suggested there be an agreement between the Governments of the United States and of the United Kingdom that should for any reason the Government of India fail to return the silver at the time stipulated, the Government of the United Kingdom will take such steps as may be necessary to effect delivery to the United States Treasury of the amount of silver involved.
The Department will make every effort to comply with your request that any such agreement not be made public and the confidential nature of the matter will be emphasized in any information on the subject which it may be necessary to convey to other branches of the Government.
I assume that the Embassy will wish to transmit a draft agreement for consideration by the Department.
Sincerely yours,