800.6363/3–245: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in France (Caffery)
847. The Department is sending to you a circular airgram4 requesting you to discuss with the French authorities an arrangement which has been agreed to between the American and British Governments for supplying petroleum products to France and other countries. We know that the French are concerned over problems of immediate supply and that their attention is focused for the moment on the requests which they have put forward for lubricating oils and crude. When you discuss the supply arrangement with the French, you should inform them that the American Government is fully aware of the present very difficult situation in France and that, through the combined British and American machinery, current questions concerning crude supplies and lubricating oils are being considered as expeditiously and as sympathetically as possible. In associating these several matters, you will of course avoid giving to the French any impression that we are bargaining with them to secure their participation in the supply arrangement. This arrangement has been drawn up by the American and British Governments to provide machinery under which France will be assured of receiving equitable supplies of petroleum products; hence participation in it is primarily in France’s interest rather than ours. The purpose which we have in asking you to mention the other questions when you present the supply arrangement is so that the French may have no ground for feeling that we are asking them to consider a general supply system while failing to appreciate their pressing concern over immediate supplies.
- Circular telegram of March 3, 9 a.m., 1945 (not printed), for action by the Embassy in Paris and for information of the Missions to the Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, Italy, Yugoslavia, and Greece.↩