840.50 Recovery/9–2047: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Douglas) to the Secretary of State
us urgent
5094. From Clayton, Caffery and Douglas. 1. At Sir Oliver Franks’ request, Douglas and Clayton are meeting with him in London on September 23 for a discussion of the future work and movements of CEEC groups relative to the time schedules outlined Section 6, your circtel September 7, 2 a. m. We would greatly appreciate the receipt by telegram of your advice in this matter before that date and submit the following suggestions for your consideration.
2. We believe it desirable to arrange a series of top level conferences in the Dept immediately upon Clayton’s and Douglas’s arrival in Washington, October 2 for the purpose of determining policy matters which would serve as a guide to our technical people in their talks with the conference group in Washington.
3. The conference group, which will include the chairman, the rapporteur general, certain delegates from participating countries and a number of technical experts, should be invited to arrive in Washington about October 6 for the purpose of a thorough exploration with our people of the initial, general and technical reports.
4. At the conclusion of these talks, which should be limited to 10 days or 2 weeks, we should be in a position to tell the conference group what additional work we expect from that organization.
5. The chairman would then reconvene the conference in Paris with a view to presenting final supporting evidence for 1948 soon after November 1 and a complete revised presentation for the four-year period by December 15.
[Page 442]6. In the meantime the following utilization of our personnel in Europe is recommended:
- a.
- We are sending observers to London for the meeting Committee of Financial Experts beginning September 23.1
- b.
- A conference in Paris of Agricultural Attachés from key European posts beginning September 29 to analyze preliminary work of the Food and Agriculture Committee (reourtel from Paris 3686, September 11, 11 a. m.2)
- c.
- A conference of economic counselors or chief economic officers in Paris beginning September 29 for the dual purpose of estimating conference technical reports on basis country work done in pursuance Depts circular September 11, noon,3 and to brief our officers on developments and results Paris conference for their background use in future economic reporting.
- d.
- In view of foregoing plans, we would appreciate early action our recommendation Section 1 our telegram under reference that Ivan White4 be designated to coordinate the work in Europe. This would formalize the arrangement under which he has been assisting us in this capacity during the past three months. We think it desirable for him to proceed to Washington by air on a short detail arriving there not later than October 6.
7. We assume that in the event you agree with the foregoing suggestions necessary telegraphic travel orders will be issued directly by Dept.
Repeated to Paris as 503. [Clayton, Caffery, and Douglas.]
- The report of the Committee on Payments Agreements, the name chosen by the meeting of financial experts, is printed in the Addendum to the Paris Report, Committee of European Economic Cooperation, vol. ii, Technical Reports, p. 525. This Committee report was not, however, included in volume ii as printed by the United Kingdom and France.↩
- In telegram 3686, from Paris, not printed, Clayton and Caffery make a similar recommendation (840.50 Recovery/9–1147). The Department in telegram 4144, September 25, to London, not printed, advised that the calling of the conference of agricultural attachés and economic counselors should be delayed until the Department had consulted with representatives of the CEEC who were coming to Washington to clarify and further explain the Paris Report (840.50 Recovery/9–2047).↩
- Not printed; it asked the American diplomatic missions in countries that took part in the Paris Conference to comment on the replies by the respective governments to the questionnaire by the CEEC. (840.50 Recovery/9–1147)↩
- First Secretary of Embassy at Paris.↩