861.24/11–1144
The Secretary of the Navy (Forrestal) to the Secretary of State
Sir: Public Law 1, approved 19 February 1943 (57 Stat. 4) provides that any ship, boat, barge, or floating drydock of the Navy “may be leased …46 but not otherwise disposed of” to foreign governments. In order to comply with this law for such ships or equipment as may be turned over to foreign governments under the provisions of the Act of March 11, 1941, it became necessary to prepare some form of lease agreement (charter party).
Enclosed47 is a copy of a letter dated 18 March 1944 from Bear Admiral E. G. Allen, USN, Director of Budget and Reports, Navy Department, to Rear Admiral M. I. Akulin, U.S.S.R. Navy, Vice Chairman of The Government Purchasing Commission of the Soviet Union in the U.S.A., which enclosed copies of a tentative draft of the appropriate charter party with a request for an expression of Admiral Akulin’s views in this matter. Enclosed also is a copy of a letter dated 21 September 1944 from Admiral Allen to Admiral Akulin which referred to the previous letter and requested that consideration of the proposed charter party be expedited. In addition to the aforementioned correspondence, Captain A. P. H. Tawresey, USN, of the [Page 1154] Office of Budget and Reports, Navy Department, obtained an interview with Admiral Akulin on 29 March 1944 and explained in detail to him the nature of the proposed lease and the reason therefor. Since that time frequent telephone calls have been made to Admiral Akulin’s office to ascertain whether he had heard from Moscow, to which place he had referred the matter for instructions.
Enclosed finally is a copy of a letter dated 9 October 1944 from Rear Admiral A. A. Yakimov, U.S.S.R. Navy, who relieved Admiral Akulin as Vice Chairman of The Government Purchasing Commission of the Soviet Union in the U. S. A., which, in the light of the above, appears to be a refusal on the part of the local Soviet representatives to enter into the required lease.
The lease agreement (charter party) is not inconsistent with but implements the Soviet master agreement of 11 June 1942. In consequence of the foregoing the Navy Department considers that it should be made clear to the Soviet Government that the execution of the lease agreement (charter party) is necessary as a compliance with the Act of 19 February 1943, and does not effect any change in the Soviet master agreement of 11 June 1942.
It is requested therefore that the Department of State make appropriate representations to the Soviet Government for the purpose of obtaining execution of the lease agreement (charter party) by the Soviet Government without further delay.
Respectfully,