856E.00/10–1345: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant)
9102. Dept has been reliably informed that trucks stenciled “USA” which may have been transferred to the Netherlands Indies Civil Administration on Lend-Lease have been used in Batavia to haul British and Indian troops as well as Dutch troops. It is also reported that some of these trucks have been used by Japanese who are reported to have fired on natives from one of the trucks.
As use of trucks marked in any way to identify U.S. with activities of the user might be misunderstood, please represent to the British authorities the importance which Dept attaches to eliminating to the greatest extent possible all markings which might indicate U.S. origin of vehicles and other such equipment used by British forces in Netherlands Indies.
Similar representations are being made to Netherlands Indies authorities with respect to vehicles and equipment used by them.
Sent to Embassy at London for action as Dept’s no. 9102; repeated to Amconsul, Colombo for info of Yost as Department’s no. 130.