868.48/975: Telegram
The Minister in Greece (MacVeagh) to the Secretary of State
[Received November 15—1:55 a.m.]
302. To centralize and expedite the purchase and transportation to Greece of essential foreign products for civilian needs especially foodstuffs both for civilian and fighting forces but not military supplies the Government has created the Greek Supply Office with subsidiary agencies at New York (headed by Greek Consul General), Alexandria and Bombay. Purchases will be made on commercial basis without adjudication against payment in United States or British funds. Available Greek tonnage will be requisitioned by the Government to transport United States purchases as quickly as possible via South Africa. For some weeks at least authorities here anticipate such requisitioned vessels will be required exclusively for Government cargo but hope rapidly to elaborate the shipping facilities between Greece and the United States in expectation of increasing dependence on our sources of supply as German and other nearby sources decrease or disappear. The Minister of National Economy states the normal Greek import quota system is necessarily suspended and all private [Page 587] imports will be subject to special permit on each shipment, issuance depending primarily on availability of shipping and essentiality of product.