The Belgian Ambassador and the Belgian Minister of Supply, Mr. Paul
Kronacher, came to see me at their request this afternoon and Mr.
Kronacher set forth in detail the serious economic situation in Belgium
and the urgent need of relief supplies, going into the subject in
considerable detail. I listened to his presentation and then placed him
in touch with Mr. Clayton,1 who proposed to place
Mr. Kronacher also in touch with Admiral Land,2 and Mr.
Crowley3 and others.
I told Mr. Kronacher of our earnest wish to help Belgium in every
practicable way, pointing out at the same time our difficult shipping
problem and the fact that our war effort must take priority over every
other consideration, while recognizing that the sending of relief to
Belgium might well be regarded as an important phase in the conduct of
the war.
Mr. Kronacher, left with me the appended “Memorandum for the United
States Government” setting forth the problem which he had outlined to
me.
[Annex]
Memorandum for the United States
Government
The Belgian Government is well aware that requirements for military
operations must have priority over everything else.
However, the Belgian Government thinks it well to draw the attention
of the United States Government on the following facts:
1. SHAEF4 have undertaken to import into
Belgium the necessary amount of food to ensure a diet of 2,000
calories, figure considered as a minimum required to avoid disease
and unrest. Belgium has been liberated since September and up to the
1st of January SHAEF had imported nothing at all with the
consequences that the present ration is still under 1,500 calories,
and that as far as food is concerned the position has deteriorated
since the liberation.
On the other hand, the Belgian authorities have supplied the Allied
Armies with vegetables and fruits at the rate of one thousand tons a
day during December. These deliveries, entirely paid by the Belgian
Government, represent a serious loss in calories and vitamins to the
civilian population.
2. The effort required from the population, especially the working
Class, increases day by day.
Approximately $225,000,000. worth of goods, services and currency
were supplied by the Belgian Government to the Allied Armies and
entirely paid for by the Belgian Treasury during the last four
months.
A detailed memorandum on the financial aspect of our problems is
being handed to the United States Government to-day.5
The population has been undernourished during four years; if the
situation does not improve, it should not be expected that we shall
be able to continue this maximum effort. Neither indeed must we
overlook the danger of troubles arising, and this should be avoided
at any cost in the rear of the fighting zone.
3. In order to avoid the Government’s financial plans to be
jeopardized, the black market must be stopped; and this is
impossible as long as imports of food and goods in general are
insufficient.
4. The man in the street is well aware of the fact that we dispose of
the most needed items of food in the Belgian Congo, namely fats. He
knows that we possess a Merchant Navy which did extremely well
during this war; hundreds of boats arrive in Antwerp: none of them
carry anything for the civilian population. The popularity of the
[Page 84] United States and Great
Britain, and of the Allied troops, is extremely high; it would be
regrettable if this were to change.
5. Belgium has paid practically her whole participation in the war
effort out of her own funds up to now.
The Belgian Government, therefore, insists:
-
a)
- on SHAEF carrying out their undertaking to provide the
country with the food necessary to ensure 2,000 calories and
the extra rations for heavy workers immediately;
-
b)
- on the United States Authorities giving their agreement to
the programme of civilian imports for the 1st and 2nd
quarters of 1945—the figures for the 1st quarter are 250,000
tons, for the 2nd quarter, 1,500,000 tons—; and that the
necessary ocean tonnage be put at the disposal of the
Belgian Government to transport these goods.
- Annexed to this document is a note giving the details of
the shipping required by countries of origin.6 That our requests
are reasonable is amply shown by the fact that normal prewar
imports in Belgium amounted to 7½ million tons per quarter.
During the occupation, even the Germans imported an average
of 8½ million tons of food and miscellaneous goods per
year.
-
c)
- on the Military imports’ programs to be increased as soon
as possible to 2,600 calories. The Belgian authorities have
always insisted on the fact that 2,000 calories is
insufficient.
