861.24/2–1345
The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Canada (Atherton)
Sir: There are enclosed copies of the final draft14 of the Preambles and United States Schedules agreed upon with the Soviet Government for the furnishing of military supplies, raw materials, industrial equipment and food to be made available to the Soviet Union during the period July 1, 1944 to June 30, 1945 under the Fourth Soviet Lend-Lease Protocol.
You are requested to forward copies of the enclosed document to the Canadian Government indicating that it constitutes the exact text of the agreed preambles and the United States schedules to be incorporated into the final document to be signed at Ottawa by the United States, Canada, Great Britain and the Soviet Union. Copies of this document have been sent informally to the Canadian Embassy in Washington.
You are authorized to sign the Fourth Protocol on behalf of this Government at the earliest possible date. Following signature of the [Page 976] Protocol you should transmit to the Department the original official copy for the United States Government.
The Department is of the opinion that the publicity to be given at the time of the signing of the Protocol should be handled in Ottawa. You are authorized to discuss with the Canadian authorities the text of the press release to be issued at that time, and you are requested to make available to the Department in advance a copy of the agreed text in order that the Department may be in a position, if the Canadian Government concurs, to issue simultaneously an appropriate release in Washington at the time of the signature of the Protocol. In view of the delay which has taken place in the signature of the Fourth Protocol, it is felt that it would be advisable to include in the announcement regarding the signature a statement to the effect that the date of signature has in no way affected the flow of supplies to the Soviet Union which has been continuous since the expiration of the Third Protocol on June 30, 1944. Moreover, it is felt that it would be appropriate to include in the public announcement an indication that under the Protocol the Soviet Government reaffirms its determination to furnish raw materials and other supplies and services needed by the other signatories for the prosecution of the war.
There is enclosed for your information and possible use a suggested statement15 on the Fourth Protocol which was drafted by the Foreign Economic Administration, Division for Soviet Supply. You may also suggest to the Canadian authorities that since the United States Government has already initiated discussions with the Soviet Government for a Fifth Protocol it might also be appropriate to include in the public announcement of the signing of the Fourth Protocol a statement that discussions are going on for the conclusion of a Fifth Protocol.
For your confidential information, the Soviet Government has not yet agreed to sign a proposed United States supplementary agreement to the Master Lend-Lease Agreement of 1942 under the terms of which we would furnish to the Soviet Union on a credit basis under Lend-Lease certain types of industrial equipment which it is felt cannot be delivered under straight Lend-Lease. In as much as numerous items have appeared in the press indicating that we were negotiating such an agreement it is felt that it would be advisable to make clear at the time the signing of the Fourth Protocol is announced that it does not provide for delivery of these types of plants. It is proposed therefore to have the Secretary at the time the statement regarding the Fourth Protocol is released inform correspondents for background purposes that the signature of this agreement will not mean that there will be placed additional large orders for equipment for delivery under the Fourth Protocol since the commitments assumed by the [Page 977] supplying Governments are almost entirely contracted for under the working arrangement which has been in effect during the period since July 1, 1944.
Very truly yours,