840.50/5–945: Telegram

The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant)91

3654. For Hawkins. An aide-mémoire with the following text is being delivered to the Washington missions of all countries invited to EECE and ECO meetings in London:92

“The Department of State has been advised that the British Government delivered to a representative of the (name of invited country) Government in London an invitation to attend a meeting in London on May 18, 1945 for the purpose of establishing a. European Coal Organization and another meeting on May 25, 1945 for the purpose of establishing an Emergency Economic Committee for Europe. It is understood that these invitations were accompanied by memoranda which outlined the types of emergency economic problems which might be considered by these organizations and made suggestions as to their form and functions. Similar invitations were delivered to United States representatives in London.

“Representatives of the United States Government have discussed with representatives of the Governments of the United Kingdom, France and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, over the course of the past weeks, the desirability of creating organizations of the type mentioned in the British invitations. It is the view of the United States Government that a useful purpose could be served by such bodies if created promptly to consider the difficult and urgent economic problems which have arisen and will continue during the period immediately following the cessation of hostilities in Europe.

“Accordingly, the United States Government intends to accept the invitations and, if it is agreed to establish the bodies as suggested in the invitations, will participate in the formation and subsequent proceedings of the organizations. It is hoped that the (name of invited country) Government will give favorable consideration to the proposals made in the British invitations.”

You are accordingly authorized to accept the British invitation. Please advise Hornbeck93 and Osborne.94 A message giving the general [Page 1449] background of these organizations will be sent by the Department to United States missions in Greece, Turkey and Yugoslavia.95

Grew
  1. Repeated, except for last paragraph, to Paris as telegram 1960, to Brussels as 376, and to Moscow as 1043.
  2. Sent on May 8, 1945, to the Washington missions of the following Governments: Belgium, Czechoslovakia, France, Greece, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, the Soviet Union, Turkey, and Yugoslavia; sent to the Danish Legation on May 17, 1945.
  3. Stanley K. Hornbeck, Ambassador to the Netherlands Government-in-exile at London.
  4. Lithgow Osborne, Ambassador to the Norwegian Government-in-exile, at London.
  5. Airgram to Athens, Ankara, and Belgrade, May 11, 1945, not printed.