868.00/3–847
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Acting Secretary of State
The British Ambassador called at his request. He reminded me that at our last conversation I had asked him to ask the British Government to be more specific as to its intentions on the form of the aid which it was prepared to continue to Greece for the next ninety days. He had informed me that pending the effective operation of American assistance the British Government would continue to make available two million pounds a month for Greek military use for three months. He told me this morning that he had inquired and had the reply that it was the British Government’s intention to make these advances in the form of loans to Greece which it wished to have repaid as soon as possible either by the United States Government or by the Greek Government out of funds made available to it by this Government. He asked what the attitude of the American Government would be toward such a proposal. I said that I thought our attitude would be unfavorable and that it would be a mistake on the part of the British to press such a point. I added that we were doing all we could to make American assistance available and available as soon as possible. My strong recommendation to the British was that they should continue their help as they had in the past until we could take over and not attempt to be reimbursed directly or indirectly from us.
The Ambassador stated that this was exactly the view which he himself had already expressed by cable to London.1
- A British Embassy note of March 7 entitled “Financial Aid to Greece after March 31st, 1947” contains a marginal notation reading “orally” (868.00/3–747). Presumably, Lord Inverchapel read the note to Mr. Acheson during their conversation on March 8.↩