740.00119 EAC/5–1345: Telegram

The Ambassador in the United Kingdom ( Winant ) to the Secretary of State

4785. The urgent need for making progress in the formulation of principles to govern restitution of cultural property referred to in Department’s 3574, May 7, 3 p.m.,25 is further underlined in a communication addressed on April 3 to the United Kingdom Government by the Netherlands, Belgian and Luxembourg Governments and now circulated in the EAC by the United Kingdom delegation as EAC 45/54 Cornea 245. Full text by air.26

Covering letter of the Belgian Ambassador urges the immediate establishment of an inter-Allied organization representing all looted countries to supervise the execution of cultural restitution. The memorandum proposes (1) prohibition of removal or alienation of cultural objects in Germany except by permission of the Allied authorities; (2) return of all looted cultural property; (3) replacement in [Page 943] kind if looted property is not found within 6 months or if property is not returned intact; (4) taking of similar enemy property as pledges to secure return of looted property; (5) restoration of pre-war Allied property located in enemy territory; (6) full information and technical services to be provided by Germany. Separate proposals will be presented concerning looted scientific material.

Winant
  1. Not printed; it stated that the Draft Agreement on Principles of Cultural Restitution which the United States proposed to present in the European Advisory Commission was still undergoing clearance in the War Department and that the Embassy would be kept informed on its progress (740.00119 EAC/4–2745).
  2. The text of this document, dated April 3, was transmitted to the Department as an enclosure to despatch 23042, May 14, from London, neither printed. It had been circulated in the European Advisory Commission by the United Kingdom delegation on May 10. (740.00119 EAC/5–1445)