840.50/5–1745
The Canadian Ambassador (Pearson) to the Secretary of State
Aide-Mémoire
The Canadian Ambassador presents his compliments to the Secretary of State and has the honour to refer to the Aide-Mémoire of March 3,1945 from the Department of State61 and the reply of April 28, 1945 from this Embassy covering the arrangements for the provision of military relief supplies on a combined basis to liberated and conquered areas.
These arrangements have up to the present served to maintain a flow of essential supplies to liberated areas and to conquered areas during the period of military operations.
It now appears likely that the total amount of supplies covered by these arrangements will shortly have been provided and that irrecoverable expenditures have probably already reached the stipulated figure of $400,000,000 at which point it was agreed that the position should be re-examined.
In the light of these considerations and the change in conditions resulting from the end of European hostilities, it appears desirable that discussion be initiated immediately to re-examine the position bearing in mind the continuing need for military relief supplies.