868.00/3–1547
The Acting Secretary of State to the Secretary of State, at Moscow
personal and confidential
Washington, March 15,
1947.
Dear General Marshall: Supplementing my recent cable to you the status of work on the Greek and Turkish situation is as follows:
- 1.
- The two secret sessions which the Secretaries of War and Navy and I had with the Senate and House Foreign Committees, respectively, did not disclose opposition to the President’s proposal. They did disclose the inevitable pain and anguish of the Congress in facing a difficult decision. This was manifested in a series of questions which are becoming almost standardized. Why can’t the United Nations do something about this or do it all? Why do we have to provide military assistance? Where is this going to lead and why doesn’t the Administration tell us the whole story and the whole cost now? Where is the trouble going to break out next? Are we going to give relief to Poland while we are combatting communism in Greece? I think that we can handle this situation but it may take a little time. The House Committee has asked for another secret session before public hearings begin. This will probably take place on Tuesday, March 18.
- 2.
- A bill has been prepared and we expect it to be introduced in the House on Monday, March 17. It provides for the grant of the necessary powers to the President, an authorization of $400,000,000 to be appropriated and an authorization of an immediate advance of $100,000,000 by the RFC to be reimbursed out of the appropriation when made. This will enable us to get started as soon as this bill is passed and not wait for the action of the Congress on the appropriation.
- 3.
- Senator Vandenberg’s present attitude is that the legislation should start in the House and be acted upon by the Senate only after the House has passed the bill. When it gets to the Senate he thinks that the major load should be carried by the Administration although he is entirely willing to help. I am going to see Senator Barkley Monday in the hope that together we may persuade Senator Vandenberg to agree to concurrent action in the Senate with joint leadership by himself, Senator White, Senator Barkley and Senator Connally. Otherwise the respective authorizations may require almost a month.
- 4.
- The British have now agreed to inform the Greek Government that they will make two million pounds available without charge for the reorganization of the Greek Army and another million pounds available to be charged against the “Angellopoulos monies in London”. I understand that this refers to some obligations of the British to the Greeks for supplies which the Greeks have furnished British forces in Greece. This is also on the assumption that we will be ready to act by the middle of April. I have agreed to the British so informing the Greeks but without any commitment as to whether or not we would be prepared to act by April 15. Prior to this communication the British had proposed that we reimburse them for any advances made, a proposal to which I refused to agree.
[Here follows discussion of matters other than the Greek and Turkish situations.]
Dean Acheson