861.24/1602: Telegram
The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Standley) to the Secretary of State
[Received 7:30 p.m.]
971. For Stettinius from Faymonville. Commissar says Soviet Government desires to emphasize the importance of actually loading aboard west coast ships during August the cargo on August schedule presented to you by General Belyaev. He says Soviet Government considers this a “life and death matter”. He fears that August loading program may fail because permission denied for shipment to our west coast of high priority cargo as long as quantities of low priority cargo remain at ports. His view is that Soviet cargo now at west coast ports was shipped there because it was most available from production lines when shipment was made and he feels that it should not block westward shipment of higher priority cargo needed for August shipment. He regards figures in your paragraph 3 of cable 577, July 17, 9 p.m.,22 as entirely too small to permit shipment of August program and reminds that on July 26 there were in west coast harbors of United States 23 Soviet dry cargo ships with 151,500 tons capacity and 4 tankers with 29,000 tons capacity and that in addition 24 Soviet ships with 170,000 tons capacity are on way to American west coast ports and will arrive there before August 10. Commissar asks that urgency of August shipping program be made clear to General Wesson and General Gross23 and several times repeated for your information the important effect which August shipping program will have on the course of war. [Faymonville.]