867.24/12–144: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Turkey (Steinhardt)

1121. The Department is agreeable to the execution of the proposed lend-lease agreement in both the English and Turkish languages, both [Page 912] authentic, and the Embassy is authorized to verify and approve the Turkish text without further verification by the Department.3 Since the agreement will be executed in both languages, it will be necessary to revise the wording of the last sentence in Article 8 as follows: “Done in duplicate in the English and Turkish languages, both authentic, at Ankara, this blank day of blank, 1944.”

It is understood that the Turkish Government now suggests that the notes already proposed in connection with the agreement not be exchanged, but apparently no objection to the contents of the notes has been brought forward.4 The Department is not agreeable to the suppression of these notes. Commitments have been made to Congressional leaders that the provision in paragraph 4 of such notes regarding the implementation of the provisions of the agreement in accordance with the constitutional procedures of each of the signatory governments will be included in any new lend-lease agreements. For your own information, paragraph 4 and the provisions of paragraphs 1 and 2 of these notes are contained in notes proposed to other governments in the Middle East, and for the Department to agree that these notes need not be exchanged with the Turkish Government would seriously embarrass other negotiations.

The Department has no objection to an exchange of notes embodying the statements contained in the memorandum handed to the Turkish Government by the Ambassador pursuant to our 880 of October 10 and our 900 of October 14.

Stettinius
  1. On November 15 the Turkish Foreign Office had handed to Ambassador Steinhardt a draft text in Turkish of the proposed Lend-Lease agreement (867.24/11–1644).
  2. The draft exchange of notes provided for current payment by Turkey for foodstuffs and other supplies for the civilian population, and stated that other goods and services might be furnished on the same basis by agreement from time to time. For provisions contained in the proposed exchange of notes sent to Ambassador Steinhardt in telegram 60, January 16, 1943, midnight, see Foreign Relations, 1943, vol. iv, p. 1088.