File No. 103.94/495
The Ambassador in Great Britain ( Page) to the Secretary of State
[Received 7.06 p.m.]
2338. For Baruch from Summers:
Returned to London from Paris on account of important meeting of Transport Council today and Financial Council tomorrow, see [Page 609] our 2279 for Heidrich from Patterson.1 I want to personally urge you to have all our programmes frankly submitted to programme committees. We do not commit ourselves to abide by any recommendations that programme committees may make, but any refusal to submit our data on the ground that it may interfere with our supplies will be taken advantage of and it is wholly unwarranted. We should deal frankly and honestly with all of these programmes and have nothing to lose thereby but everything to gain. Under these conditions, I want your personal interest in insisting that data be furnished to the programme committees.
See our 2274 for Scott from Patterson.1 British Government at the solicitation of Andrew Weir2 will probably insist on 10 per cent compensation for handling Australian wool situation. This is simply compensation to trade interests and [should] not be permitted by us. I shall formally decline to accept this and urge if British Government insist upon it that representation be made by our State Department to British Foreign Office in regard to establishing this precedent [which] may result in similar action on our part in regard to our fundamental commodities. This is an absolute violation of the policy we have been pursuing of giving the Allies the benefit of our prices. If we were to propose a similar charge against wheat and cotton furnished the Allies, you can appreciate what it would mean. …