840.48 Refugees/12–2745: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant)
328. Urtel 13589 Dec 27.41 Kindly advise Fonoff that view of this Govt is that efforts of IGC to deal with problem of refugees should not be held in abeyance pending action by United Nations. Disposition of those who will eventually prove to be non-repatriable in US zones of Germany and Austria is matter of extreme urgency which is being pressed upon Dept vigorously by US military which has received no assistance to date in problem from IGC. It is therefore important that US and UK Govts reach early agreement as to work of IGC, and consequently Dept will welcome detailed reply to Under Secretary’s message to Minister of State (Deptels 9765 and 9810 Nov 7 and 8) as soon as possible.
Also advise FonOff that Dept urges early reconsideration of negative UK decision in respect to IGC project for Switzerland (encl. no. 2 urdesp 27240 Dec 542) and perceives no objection to IGC intervention on behalf of Spanish refugees in Gibraltar (encl. no. 3 desp under ref). Reply to encl. no. 1 desp under ref follows by pouch.
- Not printed (840.48 Refugees/12–2745); it reported a letter from the Foreign Office stating that since the question of responsibility for refugee work had been discussed by British and United States representatives at the plenary session of the IGC in Paris and since the future organization of refugee work was before the United Nations Preparatory Commission, it was assumed that a detailed reply was no longer expected to the messages of November 7 and 8 (pp. 1204 and 1206, respectively).↩
- Despatch and enclosures not printed.↩