840.50 Recovery/6–1747
The Netherlands Ambassador ( Loudon ) to the Secretary of State
Sir: I have the honor to inform Your Excellency that the Netherlands Government with great interest and deep appreciation has taken cognizance of the speech which you made at Cambridge, Massachusetts, on the 5th of this month concerning the economic rehabilitation of Europe, which cannot come about without the helping hand of the United States and constitutes an indispensable requisite for a sound world economy and the consolidation of peaceful relations between the nations.
In this connection, it may not be amiss to call attention to the fact that the Netherlands, in conjunction with Belgium and Luxembourg, since a considerable time have been striving to create such economic relations in Europe as will meet the requirements of present economic conditions and circumstances, an aim which in some measure has taken shape and expression in the Customs Union between these countries. The Netherlands Government is, naturally, fully disposed to give serious consideration to any other suggestion for the rebuilding of Europe’s economic structure.
I may further advise Your Excellency that for some time past Her Majesty’s Government has made the economic collaboration between the European countries a subject of study and research, as i.a. may appear from its memorandum concerning Germany of January 14, 1947, submitted to the Department of State with my note of January [Page 258] 25, 1947, No. 352,1 and it is expected that the result of this enquiry will be communicated to the Government of the United States and those of the countries of Europe after the elapse of two months from the present date. In case the Department of State has already some material on the subject-matter available, tending to assist in forming an opinion on some point or another, it would be very helpful if Your Excellency would be so kind as to place it at the disposal of the Netherlands Government, which courtesy on your part would be deeply appreciated.
Please accept [etc.]
- Ambassador Loudon’s note of January 25 is not printed. The Netherlands Government’s memorandum of January 14, 1947, on Allied policy with regard to Germany was circulated as document CFM (D) (47) (G) 9 to the Deputies for Germany, who met in London from January 14 to February 25, 1947. The salient aspects of the Netherlands Government’s proposals for a German peace settlement are included in the Report of the Deputies for Germany to the Council of Foreign Ministers, February 25, 1947, vol. ii, pp. 40, 50.↩