865.24/8–2846
The Lend-Lease Administrator (Lane), Office of the Foreign Liquidation Commissioner, to Colonel Joseph W. Scobey, Chief of the Military Supply Section, International Branch, Service, Supply, and Procurement Division, War Department General Staff
My Dear Colonel Scobey: This is in reply to your letter of August 28, 1946, to Mr. Havlik,83 concerning a request from the Commanding General, Mediterranean Theatre, for authority for the British Army to retransfer 280 armored cars of lend-lease origin to the Interim Italian Army, and for blanket authority to retransfer other items of lend-lease origin to the Italian Army (U.S. reference No. 37).
As your office has been informed by telephone, the Department of State has no objection to the proposed retransfer of the armored cars, which is authorized subject to financial terms to be agreed in advance between the Italian Government and the representatives of the Foreign Liquidation Commissioner in Rome.84 The British Army authorities in Italy should advise the Italian Government to approach the Foreign Liquidation Commissioner’s representative concerning the terms of retransfer.
The Department of State has considered the request for blanket authorization for similar retransfers but is unable to consent to such an authorization at this time. The British Army may be advised, however, that such a request, accompanied by further information regarding the types, quantities, and condition of equipment which might be involved, etc., may be submitted through the regular channel (the British Army Staff in Washington) for consideration if so desired. This of course does not imply that such consideration would necessarily be favorable.
A copy of this letter is being sent to the British Army Staff in Washington for their information.
Sincerely yours,
- See footnote 70, p. 930.↩
A memorandum addressed by Gen. James K. Crain, Deputy Chairman, Policy Committee on Arms and Armaments, to Frederick Ext on, Acting Assistant Chief of the Munitions Division on September 23, 1946, explained that the Policy Committee on Arms and Armaments in its meeting of September 20 held up action regarding transfer of the 280 armored cars pending decision by Acting Secretary of State Acheson, but it refused assent to blanket authority for the British to transfer lend-lease items to the Italians (865.24 FLC/9–2346).
General Crain’s memorandum of October 2 to the Chief of the Munitions Division, advised that the Acting Secretary approved the request of the transfer (865.24 FLC/10–246).
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