832.24/10–2344
The Secretary of State 24 to the Foreign Economic Administrator (Crowley)
My Dear Mr. Crowley: I have received your letter of October 23 concerning the proposed supplemental lend-lease agreement with Brazil, which provides for the furnishing of supplies to the Brazilian Expeditionary Forces.
It is the view of this Department that this supplemental agreement should not contain provisions for payment for supplies to be used by the Brazilian Expeditionary Forces in the theatres of war, since this type of lend-lease assistance is of the same nature as that supplied to others of the United Nations on a straight lend-lease basis. There appears to be no reason to distinguish between Brazil and other nations in this respect.
As you know, it has been the policy of this Department with respect to all of the American republics with which lend-lease agreements have been concluded not to request reverse lend-lease assistance. This policy is based on the provisions of the various agreements which provide for payment for supplies going to such republics in accordance with each country’s ability to pay. Although no payments are provided in the proposed Brazilian supplementary agreement for supplies furnished to the Expeditionary Forces, the provisions for payment for other supplies in the original Brazilian lend-lease agreement remain unchanged, and it is not felt that reverse lend-lease assistance should be requested from Brazil when it continues to be the policy of this Department not to request such aid from any other American republic.
Sincerely yours,
- Edward R. Stettinius, Jr., assumed the duties of Secretary of State on December 1, 1944.↩