740.00119 EW/12–945: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Caffery) to the Secretary of State
Paris, December
9, 1945—8 p.m.
[Received December 10—5 p.m.]
[Received December 10—5 p.m.]
7084. From Angell No. 131.
- 1.
- Introduced proposal regarding share for non-repatriable persons at
meeting of heads of delegations December 8, as per mytel from Angell
No. 130.29 Debate postponed until Dec
10 but indication is that proposal will meet strong opposition.
Major objections likely to be:
- a.
- Dissipation of reparation pool in general.
- b.
- Share per head for non-repatriables may be greater in some cases, than that for injured nationals of govts represented.
- c.
- Fund may use unduly large portion of proceeds of external assets in neutral countries.
- d.
- Fund may be construed to benefit German collaborators or political opponents of existing govts.
- 2.
- To secure action by Conference, it may prove necessary to accept British suggestion that Conference agree to principle of US proposal but charge US, UK and France with formulation of concrete plan for submission to interested govts.
- 3.
- Even this may prove unacceptable to Conference. In that event, would Dept specifically authorize acceptance of lower US share in B quota as suggested in Repmem 3,30 to finance most, if not all, of proposed fund? It should be realized that 25 million dollars may be approximately 4 percent of residual B quota assets as adjusted to exclude external assets in United Nations jurisdiction.
- 4.
- Reply extremely urgent. [Angell.]
Caffery