740.0011 PW/7–2145: Telegram
No. 1293
The Acting
Secretary of State to the Ambassador to the
Netherlands (Hornbeck)1
us urgent
Neter 77. Neth Ambassador2 has informed us under instructions re your 187, July 21,3 that July 18 the Neth Govt expressed through SHAEF Mission Neth as well as through General [Field Marshal] Montgomery’s headquarters desire of Schermerhorn and Gerbrandy to lay before President Truman and PriMin Churchill (1) request for additional shipping to carry Dutch military forces to the Far East and (2) urgency from Dutch standpoint of early direct military action looking to liberation of the Indies. Reply given Dutch Govt through the same channels was to effect that the projects [Page 1348] should be taken up with Brit and American Govts through regular channels.
For your info: Various aspects of project mentioned in your reference telegram have been presented to American and Brit Govts in piecemeal fashion through military channels and are receiving urgent attention by all interested agencies. You will be informed when decisions have been arrived at.
The tendency of the Dutch in this as well as in other matters to present questions simultaneously through several different channels has complicated speedy consideration.
J[ohn] D H[ickerson]
- Sent to the American Embassy, London.↩
- Alexander Loudon.↩
- Document No. 1292.↩