550.AD1/58
The Secretary of State to the British Ambassador (Halifax)
Excellency: I have the honor to refer to your note of March 27, 1943 transmitting certain comments of the British Government on the forthcoming conference of the United Nations on food and other essential agricultural products.
The United States Government fully concurs in the importance which the British Government attaches to avoiding the creation of an impression among the European and other Allied Governments that the problem of relief is in danger of being relegated to the background as a result of divorcing questions of relief from the considerations of the food conference. For that reason the United States Government agrees with the suggestion that before the food conference convenes it would be desirable to consider what steps could be taken to explain the scope of the food and relief conferences. It is anticipated that there will be full and continuing discussion of the agenda for both of these conferences in the weeks intervening before the convening of either of them. It is the hope and expectation of this Government that before the food conference gets under way all Governments will have heard from both the British and American Governments on the plans for the conference to discuss the proposed United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration and that this will serve to allay any misapprehensions that might arise.
The United States Government is also in full agreement with the understanding of the British Government that the food conference is intended to be primarily of a preliminary and exploratory nature. The conference may deal in such detail as may be possible with matters relating to nutrition and consumption in general and to plans and prospects for production and exchange of foodstuffs and other essential agricultural products. As regards economic and financial issues over a wide field, the conference would endeavor to relate the problems inherent in the production and exchange of food and agricultural [Page 831] products to the wider fields of trade and finance in general in the expectation that these would form, in due course, the subject of further discussions among the various nations. It was the thought of the United States Government in proposing a conference on food and other essential agricultural products at this time that the objective would be to determine through examination and discussion of the relevant facts the major problems which will exist and to make recommendations as to means of dealing with those problems, for the continuing consideration by the Governments represented.
In this same connection the Soviet Government has indicated its understanding that the conference would be limited to the exchange of opinions on the items set forth in the preliminary suggested agenda and that no decisions binding upon the member Governments would be taken by the conference.
Accept [etc.]