862.5018/5–1247
The Secretary of War (Patterson) to the Secretary of Agriculture (Anderson)49
Dear Mr. Secretary: At our meeting this afternoon, at which the Secretary of State and Secretary of Commerce were also present, I outlined the dire conditions prevalent in the United States and the United Kingdom zones in Germany. I pointed out the urgent need for 150,000 tons of additional wheat, over and above the amounts already scheduled for May and June. I request that you purchase the 150,000 tons for the account of the War Department as soon as possible, by direct purchases or otherwise. It will be satisfactory if not to exceed 35,000 tons of durum wheat are included as part of the 150,000 tons.
I also request that arrangements be made to ship the wheat so that it may leave our ports by June 15, or by June 30 at the very latest.
This transaction will not dispense with our needs for July and August, which are also of great importance.
The sooner this matter can be handled, the sooner we will be in a position to relieve the worst features of the present extreme shortage of food in the United States and United Kingdom zones.
Sincerely yours,
-
The source text was sent to the Secretary of State by the Secretary of War under cover of a transmittal note dated May 12, 1947, not printed.
In a letter to former President Herbert Hoover, dated May 15, 1947, not printed, Secretary of State Marshall wrote in part as follows:
“I have just received your letter of May 12 with further reference to our conversation the night of the Gridiron dinner.
“Since seeing you there has been a meeting of the Secretaries of State, War, Agriculture and Commerce, where a decision was reached to send 150,000 tons of wheat to Germany by June 30, in addition to present allocations. That, I believe, meets your suggestion for Germany.” (862.50/5–1247)
The Hoover letter under reference is not printed.
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