872.51/135: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in France ( Sharp )
6698. For Crosby from Rathbone. Treasury 655. Ammission’s 257 December 16 midnight, otherwise unnumbered.42 Please inform Davis as follows: On request of Serbian Government United States prepared to establish credit in its favor in the amount of $15,000,000 to be advanced from time to time as required for purchase of food in United [Page 680] States and am informing Rickard and Serbian representative accordingly. Treasury is prepared if and to the extent found necessary and on like request to establish further credits of $5,000,000 per month January to April inclusive for same purpose unless peace previously declared. Have no doubt we can arrange for payments through the Serbian representatives to the Grain Corporation much in the way that Belgian relief advances are handled. Understand that is what Hoover desires. You will understand first that our authority to establish credits ceases on the termination of the war, and second that advances after termination of war can be made only from credits previously established to take care of commitments necessarily made so as to insure regular and orderly supply of food needed for the purpose of prosecuting the war. It does not seem to us that a Treasury representative in Serbia will be needed. The information necessary to warrant the Treasury in making advances may be communicated to it from time to time by the Food Administration which will no doubt be kept fully informed of facts by its representatives in Europe.