The Embassy of Belgium has the honor to transmit herewith to His
Excellency the Secretary of State a memorandum concerning the urgent
character of the arrangements to be made with a view of seizing, in the
sections of German territory controlled by the Armies of the United
Nations, raw materials, equipment and products of all kinds necessary
for the restoration of the economy of Belgium with a view to its more
effective participation in the common war effort.
[Enclosure—Translation]
Memorandum
The Belgian Government, in full agreement with the Provisional
Government of the French Republic, the Luxembourg Government and the
Netherlands Government, has the honor to invite the attention of the
Governments of the United States and Great Britain to the urgent
character of the arrangements to be made with a view to seizing, in
the sections of German territory controlled by the Armies of the
United Nations, raw materials, equipment, products of all kinds,
particularly necessary for the re-establishment of the economy of
the liberated countries, with a view to their more effective
participation in the common war effort.
Belgium, whose economy, like that of France, Luxembourg and the
Netherlands, has been ruined by the plundering of the enemy and [Page 101] the devastation resulting
from military operations, is, indeed, for the same reasons as those
three countries, anxious to avail herself of every occasion which
may present itself to hasten the re-establishment of her economy and
to relieve the sufferings of her people.
Now, notwithstanding the bombings and the destruction which the
Germans themselves were able to carry out, it has been ascertained
that considerable quantities of raw materials, of products of all
kinds and of equipment are in the zones of German territory under
Allied control. The Belgian Government feels that, within the limits
permitted by military necessity, such raw materials, products and
equipment ought immediately to be listed and divided among the
neighboring Allied countries, the needs of which are very great and
which can receive from overseas only a very small proportion of the
merchandise necessary to meet those needs.
The Belgian Government wishes to state explicitly that the seizures
in question should not in any way prejudice the general rule which
will be adopted subsequently either in the matter of the restitution
of pillaged property or in that of reparations. It is of course
understood, however, that an account would be kept of the seizures
in question, in order that they might be deducted later from the
total amount of reparations to which each of the countries which
will be the beneficiaries thereof will have a right.
After having examined the question, and in full agreement with the
Provisional Government of the French Republic, the Luxembourg
Government and the Netherlands Government, the Belgian Government
proposes that technical missions from the four countries concerned
be immediately detailed to the S.H.A.E.F. with a view to:
- 1)
- Acquainting the competent Allied Military Authorities with
the most urgent needs of their respective countries and
receiving all pertinent information on the condition of the
stocks existing in Germany.
- 2)
- Determining with the Allied Military Authorities the
seizures to be effected and the methods of
transportation.
- 3)
- Keeping an account of such seizures. Furthermore, the
Belgian Government declares itself ready to establish when
necessary, with the Governments concerned, a provisional
inter-Allied organization which could later be substituted
for the technical missions mentioned above, in case the
latter should no longer respond to the circumstances.
The Belgian Government does not doubt that this question will form
the subject of a comprehensive examination on the part of the
American and British Governments and it expresses the hope that a
positive decision will shortly be made.
Washington,
May 11,
1945.
