811.20 Defense (Requisitions)/6: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Chargé in the Soviet Union (Thurston)
291. This Government is requisitioning from American manufacturers against compensation to the original purchasers various machine tools which have been ordered for delivery abroad. This requisitioning is being carried out solely because the tools being taken over are indispensable to the production of armaments essential to the expanding needs of our national defense.
[Page 304]The Soviet Ambassador complained to the Department on May 23 because of the requisitioning by the Navy Department of a machine tool which had been ordered by Stankoimport. Our policy was fully explained to him and he was informed that machine tools ordered and manufactured for other Governments are also being requisitioned and that the requisitioning was not an act of discrimination against the Soviet Government, the criterion being our own need for the machine tools in question.
He stated that he was reporting the matter to his Government, and would probably make formal representations within the next few days.18 In case you are approached on the subject by the Soviet authorities you are authorized to explain the situation and to insist that the policy of requisitioning machine tools is not directed against the Soviet Government or any other particular government and is being carried out in a non-discriminatory manner.