856.48/3–545
The Secretary of State to the Netherlands Ambassador (Loudon)
The Secretary of State presents his compliments to His Excellency the Ambassador of the Netherlands and has the honor to refer to the Embassy’s aide-mémoire dated March 5, 1945 in regard to a proposal which has been under consideration by the British and Netherlands Governments that food shipments amounting to 5,000 tons weekly be made to the enemy-occupied portion of the Netherlands.
Mr. Stettinius is glad to inform Dr. Loudon that from the blockade point of view this proposal meets with the approval of the Department of State. The American Embassy at London and the American Legation at Stockholm have been so informed.
As regards the question of supply this Government likewise has been informed that the British Government is willing to advance certain supplies from food stocks in the United Kingdom but has requested replenishment from overseas in respect of shortages which might thus arise. This Government is not informed as to the nature of the supplies for which replenishment may be required nor the source from which replenishment is expected. As Dr. Loudon may know, the overall question of supply and stockpiles is being reviewed in conversations now in progress between the British and American Governments.12 This Government, therefore, is not in a position to discuss the question of possible replenishment from United States sources pending the conclusion of the conversations referred to above.
- For documentation on these conversations, see vol. ii, pp. 1059 ff.↩