Office of the Historian

855.24/9–1945

The Assistant Secretary of State (Clayton) to the Director of the Office of Financial and Development Policy (Collado)

[Washington,] September 19, 1945.

Mr. Crowley, Walter Thayer38 and I had a meeting this afternoon with Secretary Patterson39 and General Somervell,40 and the following decisions were made:

1.
Reverse lend-lease ceases on the same day that lend-lease ceases. However, for any services such as rent, transportation, etc., furnished us by lend-lease countries after September 2, payment should be made by giving them credit on their 3(c) obligations or in surplus property.
2.
We are to tell Belgium that we recognize the obligation to balance the lend-lease account with them and will do so in some way, probably by delivery of surplus property.

W. L. Clayton
  1. Walter Thayer, General Counsel of Foreign Economic Administration.↩
  2. Robert P. Patterson, Secretary of War.↩
  3. Gen. Brehon Somervell, Commanding General, Army Service Forces.↩