810.20 Defense/9–2044
The Acting Secretary of State to the Secretary of War (Stimson)
My Dear Mr. Secretary: The Department is in receipt of the letter of September 20, 1944, signed jointly by yourself and the Secretary of the Navy in which you set forth in reply to the Department’s letter of August 24 to Admiral Leahy, the instructions which have been given to the officers who are to hold staff conversations with representatives of the other American republics.
A careful study of these instructions makes it clear that they do not incorporate fully the views expressed in the Department’s letter under reference with respect to the relationship between the officers holding the staff conversations and the chiefs of diplomatic missions. The Department regrets that under the circumstances it can not agree with the statement in your letter that “the instructions to be furnished United States military and naval representatives will insure complete coordination and obviate the possibility of misunderstanding or the possible injection of objectives foreign to the purpose of the conversations”.
The conflict of views between this Department and the War and Navy Departments is, in the opinion of this Department, a basic one, involving the authority and responsibility of the Department of State in the field of foreign relations, the maintenance of good relations with the other American republics, and the very success of the staff conversations themselves. The Department therefore is reluctantly compelled to refer the entire question to the President for his decision. There is enclosed a copy of a memorandum47 which is being sent to him on this subject. You will doubtless wish to communicate your views on this matter to him at the same time.
A similar letter is being sent to the Secretary of the Navy.
Sincerely yours,
- Infra.↩