Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1942, Europe, Volume II

855A.24/22: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Ambassador to the Belgian Government in Exile (Biddle), at London

Washington, June 10, 1942—midnight.

Belgian Series No. 3. For Biddle and Feis:¹²

1. Reference your 3092, June 3. Has agreement referred to in first paragraph been signed?

2. Discussions have been under way here with the Belgian Minister for Colonies, Max Horn of the Belgian Congo Purchasing Mission, representatives of the British Embassy and British missions, the Board of Economic Warfare, Lend-Lease Administration and the Combined Raw Materials Board. These discussions have reached general agreement along the following lines.

3. It being understood that the Anglo-Belgian agreement referred to in paragraph 1 of this telegram will be signed and will terminate on August 31, 1942, a new three-party agreement between the Belgian, British and American Governments should be entered into to become effective September 1942 and to terminate December 31, 1943. This agreement will relate to the purchase of goods from and the importation of goods into the Belgian Congo as hereinafter more fully described. This new three-party agreement will not affect the existing financial agreement between the United Kingdom and the Belgian Congo dated January 21, 1941, which agreement will continue to remain in force.

4. The proposed three-party agreement will have attached to it a schedule setting forth the requirements of the Belgian Congo which are to be supplied by the British and American Governments. A tentative list has already been supplied by the Belgian authorities here and is under consideration by the Combined Raw Materials Board, the Board of Economic Warfare and Lend-Lease. It is clear, however, that a more detailed list will have to be prepared and that the final list cannot be established until after the Belgian Minister for Colonies reaches the Congo, to which point he is proceeding in the near future. It is expected that as soon as the Belgian Government has received the Minister’s reports from the Congo, the final list will be submitted to the British and American Governments. It is also expected that reports will be received from the representatives of the British and American Governments who in the near future will proceed to the Congo, with the consent of the Belgian Government, to study the requirements of the Congo and make recommendations with respect thereto. The Minister for Colonies has stated his willingness to approve the sending of three American representatives and one British representative.

5. The Anglo-Belgian agreement which expired August 31, 1941 as well as the renewal of this agreement, which it is understood was signed in London recently, contain no detailed provisions as to the exports from the United Kingdom to the Belgian Congo. It is felt here, however, that it is desirable that in the proposed new three-party agreement a list, as definite as possible, as to the goods to be shipped from the United Kingdom and the United States to the Congo should be included. It is the sense of the meetings here that it may be possible, when the definitive list is received from the Belgian authorities and when the reports of the British and American experts are in hand, to establish a schedule for the proposed three-party agreement which will recite the goods to be furnished by the United States and United Kingdom respectively, and will classify them in three categories. The first category would be goods, the shipment of which to the Belgian Congo could be regarded as assured, subject only to shipping conditions and substantial changes in the world situation. The second class would consist of goods as to which every effort would be made to make them available to the Congo, but where it would be understood that a slight fluctuation in the supply or shipping situations might result in inability to ship the goods. The third category would be those goods which in all likelihood would not be available for shipment to the Congo but which the two supplying governments would be disposed to make available to the Congo in the event of substantial favorable changes in the supply and shipping factors.

6. The proposed division of goods in the three categories referred to in the preceding paragraph has been discussed with the Board of Economic Warfare, the Combined Raw Materials Board and Lease-Lend, all of which agencies have agreed that the establishment of such categories is desirable and practicable.

7. There will also be included in the proposed three-party agreement a list of the materials to be exported from the Congo to the United Kingdom and the United States respectively. Such a list is being prepared here by the Combined Raw Materials Board and the Board of Economic Warfare and will be telegraphed to London as soon as available.

8. It seems desirable that the agreement should be negotiated with the Belgian authorities in London. This is the desire of the Belgian Minister for Colonies and the Department sees no objection to this course. It is accordingly suggested that the procedure be that when the schedules of imports from and exports to the Congo are established to the satisfaction of the three Governments concerned, the proposed three-party agreement be drafted in London and the text thereof telegraphed to the Department for its approval.

9. The representatives of the British Embassy who have participated in these discussions with the Belgian Minister for Colonies are in agreement with the program set forth in this telegram, but since they have no authority to speak finally for their Government on the suggested procedure, are telegraphing the substance of these proposals to the Foreign Office. It is accordingly suggested that you consult with your British colleagues and inform the Department by telegraph of your opinion of the proposals contained in this telegram.

Hull

12. Herbert Feis, Adviser on International Economic Affairs.