862B.49/8–853
No. 743
The United States High Commissioner
for Germany (Conant) to the Secretary of
State
personal
eyes only
Dear Foster: I wrote you a personal note on July 281 about the British reaction to our food program. In the remaining two weeks the food distribution program has proceeded so satisfactorily that I think Sir Ivone Kirkpatrick is more than reconciled to what he considered unilateral action on the part of the United States in getting it under way. Nevertheless, there still remains some uneasiness and apprehension in British quarters about our future plans for food distribution. Though Sir Ivone is at present here only occasionally because he is making his farewell tour through Germany, he is still in touch with his office; therefore any time this month, although I am in the chair, we may have some difference of opinion in the Allied High Commission about Berlin and the food program there.
Because of this slight friction with the British, I feel that it was very wise that the title of this food was vested in the Federal Republic and not in the United States. For the same reason, I hope that in the future we may continue on the same basis. Except for two correspondents, the reaction of the American press representatives here and the German press has been a clear recognition of the source of the food; but the device of flowing it through the Federal Republic has avoided certain complications with both our Allies and the Russians. I think it has generally been recognized as smart propaganda that we could say blandly that this was food “distributed by Germans to Germans”.
[Page 1640]In the future there will be no difficulty, I feel, in having the offices of the Federal Republic carry through the type of food distribution which we decide is in the best interests of the cold war struggle. We should certainly have to consult them anyway about any new projects, and I am sure we desire that they should share in the credit of the whole operation and it is my firm opinion that the best way to do this is to continue to operate under the slogan “American food shipments make possible the distribution of food by free Germans to enslaved Germans!”
You may have been aware that there has been some discussion between this office and Washington about this whole subject of due credit to the U.S. I have not felt free to put into the cables one angle of the situation, namely, my relations with the British and the French. Rather, I have emphasized the advantages of having the Federal Republic have title to the food vis-à-vis the Russians.
As far as I can discover, the Germans of all shades of opinion feel that the operation to date (at the end of two weeks) has been a great success, though the supporters of the Chancellor naturally are more enthusiastic about it than the others, as it certainly has helped the Chancellor’s position (one of the objectives which we had in mind, but could not possibly proclaim).
This letter, I trust, will reach you after your return from Korea. I hope your journey has not been too fatiguing; I can well imagine what great difficulties you must have faced in handling the vast complexities of that problem.
With all good wishes,2
Sincerely,