740.00119 EW/12–2345: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Caffery) to the Secretary of State
Paris, December
23, 1945—noon.
[Received 4:53 p.m.]
[Received 4:53 p.m.]
7326. From Angell No. 173.
- 1.
- Waley, head of Brit Delegation to the Paris Conference on Reparation; Rueff, head of French Delegation; Boissevain, head of Netherlands Delegation; and Helgeby, head of Norwegian Delegation; have informed me verbally that their respective Govts would not oppose a request of the US Govt for the allocation to it of the ship Europa by the Inter-Allied Reparation Agency when the agency is established. The above delegates have also informed me that they are informing their respective Govts to the above effect.
- 2.
- The French delegate wished it to be made clear, however, that this understanding should not be interpreted to prejudice the right of the French Govt to raise with the US Govt at a later date independently of reparations problems the question of compensation for the Normandie. The raising of this question at a later date would not be regarded by the French Govt as affecting either the general reparation settlement or the informal understanding in (1) above.
- 3.
- The Netherlands delegate wishes me to state that his Govt hopes that in the actual procedures for allocation of ships to be worked out in the reparations agency account will be taken of the quality and character of shipping lost. His Govt attaches great importance to this criterion. [Angell.]
Caffery