Office of the Historian

840.6362/2–1545: Telegram

The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant)

Washington, February 27, 1945—9 p.m.

1495. Re Embassy’s 1624, February 15. For Hawkins. Department’s views regarding form of participation in European Coal Organization result from our estimate of probable operation of ECO. While we believe Committees should be advisory in character, an organization of technical coal experts dealing with transportation utilization and production of coal are apt to reach conclusions which although in form of recommendations, will in fact represent an agreed operating program. It was in anticipation of this that Department’s 564 of January 24, paragraph 4 of Functions, suggested possibility that ECO might be given powers of decision.

U.S. members of Combined Coal Committee52 would be very reluctant to seeing British participate fully in decisions on coal which might prejudice existing combined committees here and in London. It was on this basis that Department expressed opposition to full British membership in ECO. This was not an instruction to oppose formally but expressed views of Department and other interested agencies.

In discussions regarding ECO and other discussions, discretion is left to Hawkins.

Grew
  1. Set up as a coordinating and information clearance and advisory body.↩