868.51/7–1246: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Harriman) to the Secretary of State
us urgent
[Received July 12—6:25 p.m.]
6674. This afternoon, the Greek Prime Minister, M. Tsaldaris, accompanied by the Greek Ambassador in London, called on me at the Embassy. We had a very friendly talk during which the Prime Minister spoke at length about problems of reconstruction in Greece and the country’s need for financial assistance.
Tsaldaris said he was very glad of the opportunity he had in Paris to see Secretary Byrnes, from whom he gained an impression of friendliness towards Greece and of the willingness of the United States to do what it could to assist Greece with her difficult postwar economic problems. The Prime Minister said he spoke to Mr. Byrnes about the possibility of Greece obtaining further financial aid from the Export-Import Bank and also about the possibility of sending a small mission [Page 181] of Greek experts to Washington straightaway to discuss this matter in an exploratory way with the appropriate American authorities. The Prime Minister is most anxious to know now whether a visit of a mission of this kind would be agreeable to the United States Government.
The Prime Minister said the proposed mission would consist of M. Venizelos, M. Bacalbassis and M. Ailianos, with perhaps one or two secretaries. M. Ailianos is Under-Secretary for Coordination in the present Greek Government, while the other two members belong to the opposition Liberal Party. All three are now in London with the Prime Minister and, if their visit is approved, would go on to Washington from here.
Tsaldaris also told me that on the day he left Greece, June 29, a telegram from the Greek Ambassador in Washington was delivered to him as he was entering his plane at the airport. This message stated that a high official of the Export-Import Bank had informed the Greek Ambassador that the Export-Import Bank was willing to consider now an application for additional financial aid from Greece and had suggested to him that estimates should be submitted covering the country’s immediate needs without awaiting for the presentation of longer range program. The Prime Minister said that particularly in view of the receipt of this message he was anxious for the mission of Greek experts to proceed to Washington without delay. Tsaldaris added that if for any reason, it should not be possible to make arrangements with the Export-Import Bank for immediate assistance, he thought the mission should go to the US anyway in order to supply general information on Greece’s economic needs preparatory to the more formal visit of the Prime Minister himself in September. Tsaldaris is scheduled to leave London on next Tuesday for Paris en route Athens and said he hoped very much he could get the Department’s views on the foregoing matters before he departed from here. I told him I would take the matter up urgently with the Department and request an answer by Monday.
Sent Dept as 6674, repeated to Paris as 524, to Athens as 95.