J. C. S. Files
No. 541
Memorandum by the
Representatives of the British Chiefs of Staff
secret
C. C. S. 888
[Washington,] 2 July
1945.
Lend-Lease to the United Kingdom
- 1.
- The United States Chiefs of Staff will be aware that
agreements were reached between our two governments last
autumn regarding Lend-Lease to the United Kingdom after the
end of the German war. These agreements have, we understand,
recently been affirmed by the United States
administration.
- 2.
- The attached (Enclosure) is a restatement in summary form
of the understandings which were reached between our two
governments on this matter. We recommend that this statement
be communicated by the Combined Chiefs of Staff to the
appropriate agencies and staffs who are now concerned in
handling Lend-Lease to the United Kingdom.
- 3.
- The assignment of certain Lend-Lease material which is
urgently required for operational purposes has been held up
while the recent policy discussions have been proceeding,
and from the combined military point of view it has become
urgent that any obstacle caused by misunderstanding of these
agreements should be removed without delay. We therefore
recommend that action to communicate the attached document
to all interested agencies be taken at the earliest possible
moment.
[Page 817]
[Enclosure]
Assignment of Military Equipment and
Supplies to the United Kingdom Under Lend-Lease in
Stage II
- 1.
- The following is a restatement in summary form of the
understandings reached between the U. S. Administration
and the Government of the United Kingdom regarding the
supply of military Lend-Lease in Stage II.
- 2.
- In October and November, 1944, programs of U. K. military requirements
for the first year in Stage II were agreed on the basis
of certain principles and subject to certain conditions.
The departments concerned undertook to make all
practicable efforts to produce the specified quantities.
At that time it was accepted as a working hypothesis
that the European war would terminate on 31st December
1944. Except in the case of the naval program, which
went into operation on the 1st of January 1945, it has
been necessary to revise the actual programs agreed in
November 1944 in the light of changed conditions. Such
revision was provided for in the agreement and new
requirements are being drawn up in relation to the
commitments set forth in C. C.
S. 887.1
- 3.
- The same principles and conditions mentioned above as
operative in November 1944 apply with equal force to the
revised programs which will be processed through normal
channels. These revised programs represent that
proportion of U. K.
essential military requirements in Stage II for which
the U. S. Government accepted it as reasonable that the
U. K. should look to
the U. S. as a source of supply.
- 4.
- The main principles and conditions underlying the
agreement are listed below:
Principles
- 5.
- The United States Government recognised that in the
United Kingdom as in the United States, there would
during Stage II be a partial reconversion of industry to
meet essential civilian needs. Measures have been taken,
through the organised exchange of information through
the Combined Production and Resources Board, which
enable the United States Government to satisfy itself
that the rate of reconversion in the United Kingdom is
not disproportionate to that in the United States, and
that the United Kingdom is devoting an appropriate share
of its resources to the war effort.
- 6.
- The United States Government accepted the need for the
recovery of Britain’s export trade and has agreed
measures with the United Kingdom Government to ensure
that there is no misuse of Lend-Lease articles in
export.
[Page 818]
Conditions
- 7.
- The agreement reached, so far as United States
departments are concerned, fell within and would be
subject to the established procedures of the Munitions
Assignments Board.
- 8.
- In certain limited cases where it was seen last
November that production would fall short of combined
requirements it was stipulated that items accepted as a
requirement would be subject to the understanding that
the British should bid for these items before the
Munitions Assignments Board on the basis of operation
urgencies.
