Office of the Historian

Conference files, lot 59 D 95, CF 100

No. 352
Memorandum by the Deputy Administrator for International Materials Activities (Ticoulat) of a Meeting on Raw Materials, Washington, January 9, 19521
confidential
TCT CONV–8—Part III2
Washington, January 9, 1952

Present:

  • U.S.

    • Mr. McNaron, MSA
    • Mr. Johnson, DPA
    • Mr. Woodward, DPA
    • Mr. Taggart, DPA
    • Mr. Ticoulat, DPA

  • U.K.

    • Mr. Cargill
    • Mr. Senior
    • Mr. Wheeler
    • Mr. R. C. Smith

The purpose of the meeting was to reconcile present U.K. stated requirements of 900,000 long tons with previous figures determined by ECA of 705,000 tons based upon information previously given. The 705,000 tons previously arrived at by ECA anticipated that the U.K. would be able to obtain some supplies from other sources and [Page 836] this, together with the fact that we had been thinking in terms of short tons, explains the difference in our figures.

It was agreed that fourth quarter obligations and allocations shall be considered to have been completed. It was understood by the U.K. that there was no possibility of supplying them with any structural or plate. The 900,000 long ton deficit (1,008,000 short tons) assumed fulfillment of our obligation of 46,500 short tons of ingots, 25,000 short tons of sheet, and 28,500 short tons of scrap allocated for the first quarter.

It was agreed that any scrap, ingots, or steel shipped in the first quarter in excess of the above-stated allocation will be considered as fulfilling a part of our yearly obligation.

It was also agreed that the 20,000 tons of Austrian pig iron which is being delivered in the first quarter is to be deducted from our obligation, and that the 10,000 tons of carbon steel and 5,000 tons of alloy steel which U.K. representatives stated had already been made on their order would be deducted from our over-all obligation if we were able to issue tickets enabling them to get delivery.

It was agreed by U.K. representatives that any additional Austrian pig iron or German scrap that we could deliver during the first quarter would be deducted from our third and fourth quarter obligations.

We informed the U.K. representatives that we would endeavor to divert to them during the second quarter, or sooner if possible, 50,000 tons of Austrian pig iron and that we would confirm whether or not this was possible. In addition, we would allocate to them for the second quarter 150,000 tons of ingots or semi with the understanding that we could not give them any assurance that they would be able to get the semi. We would also allocate to them 50,000 tons of sheet. The unshipped portion of our total obligation would be delivered in approximately equal quantities in the third and fourth quarters.

At their request we promised to review our alloy steel situation and to advise them by next Monday, January 14, whether they could order a small amount of alloy steel against their allocation.

G. J. Ticoulat
  1. Drafted on Jan. 22. The source text does not indicate the place or the time at which this conversation was held, nor does a two-page memorandum of the conversation prepared by the British, which was attached to it.↩
  2. For Parts I and II, see Documents 335 and 342.↩