740.00112 European War 1939/10907: Telegram
The Ambassador in Turkey (Steinhardt) to the Secretary of State
[Received 7:12 p.m.]
971. My 965, May 27. In view of impending conclusion of our negotiations regarding reduction of Turk exports of strategic materials to the Axis I cannot emphasize too strongly necessity of making every effort in the future to furnish goods essential to maintenance of Turk economy which may be recommended hereafter by Embassy and BACC
It seems to me imperative an appropriate directive be issued by Department to all other interested agencies of our Government that every effort be made to meet Turk essential requirements as certified by BACC from Ankara. I desire to point out that in the course of my conferences with Numan he stated repeatedly that at great risk to Turkey’s national economy his Government was pledging itself to every substantial reduction in export to Axis of its most important products which would entail a very substantial reduction in its imports of all commodities essential to maintenance of country’s economy. He said he was entering into agreement in good faith with every intention to carry it out as a gesture of goodwill towards the United States and Britain in an effort to aid them in shortening war and if circumstances permitted he might find it possible to even go beyond obligations he had assumed under agreement but if at any time he came to feel the United States and British Governments were not exercising same degree of good faith and he had reason to believe orders were being accepted with intention not to fill them or to delay their execution with the ulterior purpose of preventing same from being placed in Axis countries to prevent the counter value in Turk exports from going to Axis he would consider himself released from his obligations under agreement and would act accordingly.
Over and above considerations advanced by Numan I feel the United States and British Governments in requesting the real sacrifice which Turk Government is making in putting United States in a [Page 856] position to stop substantially all Turk exports of strategic materials to the Axis have assumed a moral obligation to meet Turkey’s essential requirements to the fullest extent of their ability and that the convenient excuse of military necessity or shortage of shipping should not hereafter be advanced excepting in cases of imperative necessity. Furthermore, I envisage three substantial benefits which will flow from making every effort to meet Turk essential requirements (a) the incentive to Turks to take further steps to cut off all trade with Axis, (b) the salutary effect on the other neutrals and (c) the strengthening of our postwar commercial position in Turkey.