811.20 Defense(M)Turkey/996: Telegram
The Ambassador in Turkey (Steinhardt) to the Secretary of State
[Received 7:46 p.m.]
717. Late yesterday afternoon, at the conclusion of a lengthy address to the Grand National Assembly on the subject of chrome, the Minister for Foreign Affairs announced to Parliament the Government’s decision to cease all shipments of chrome to Germany and other Axis countries as of 7 o’clock this evening and to forbid the further export of chrome from Turkey. Although I have not as yet had an opportunity of talking with the Minister for Foreign Affairs since his statement to Parliament, I assume that the prohibition of the further export of chrome from Turkey will not affect the continued shipment by the British of the very large quantities heretofore purchased by them and which at the rate of shipment during the past 2 years will take at least 3 years to withdraw.
My next numbered telegram26 contains the Minister’s statement to Parliament.
- Telegram 718, not printed.↩