611.5131/9–1945: Airgram

The Ambassador in France (Caffery) to the Secretary of State

A–1327. Reference is made to the Embassy’s despatch no. 3199 of September 12, 194585 concerning the partial return to private import trade. The Embassy understands that a meeting was held yesterday by a group of high officials of the Ministry of National Economy in the course of which it was informally agreed that the French Government control of imports would be further relaxed, possibly almost entirely dispensed with, in about another six months. In the [Page 768] meantime the recent Government Notice to Importers issued on September 8 providing for a partial resumption of private trade between the United States and France would be given as liberal an interpretation as practicable.

It was brought out in the meeting that the present form of import control which has been closely interrelated with the operations of the purchasing missions abroad, should be relaxed in very substantial degree inasmuch as it is becoming increasingly clear to officials of the Ministry of National Economy that Government purchasing missions cannot adequately replace private firms in the procurement of items such as machinery etc., which have to be bought on the basis of rigid and sometimes complicated specifications; also, because the Government wishes to avoid the already fairly vociferous criticism which very likely will increase, on the part of French firms etc. on whose behalf equipment and manufactured goods are purchased in the United States which are not in accord with the customers precise needs and desires.

The Embassy’s informant stated that the Ministry of National Economy would shortly be reorganized to conform with the expected reduction in size of the purchasing missions (recent press reports on the other hand have tended to indicate that the purchasing mission staff would be increased).

Caffery
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