856D.113/3
The Minister in the Netherlands (Emmet) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 4.]
Sir: I have the honor to enclose herewith a translation of a letter received from the East Indian Section of the Netherland Ministry of Colonies,29 inquiring as to the possibility of purchasing American armored tanks for the use of the Netherland Indies Army.
If the Department is in a position and is willing to supply the information, I should appreciate receiving the desired information to the end that it may be transmitted to the appropriate Netherland authorities.
From conversations that the Legation has had with officials in the Netherland Ministry of Colonies, it seems apparent that the officials in the Indies have a distinct preference for American tanks as well as other war materials. The reason for this is largely one of expediency. There is, in the background, a feeling on the part of the Netherlands East Indies authorities that, if difficulties should arise in the Netherland Indies, equipment might be more readily obtainable in the United States than in Europe. As our interests in the East would presumably never conflict with those of the Netherlands, I should like to be instructed whether to encourage this movement on the part of the Dutch East Indian authorities.
The Netherland Indies Government is at present using American machine guns (Colt), American airplane engines (Pratt and Whitney, Curtiss Wright), and airplane propellers (Hamilton). In the past, it has not always been easy for the Indies authorities to get in touch with American manufacturers of war materials—as an example—manufacturers [Page 604] of bomb-sights for airplanes. Therefore, I should like to know whether I should encourage their inquiries with respect to such matters.
Respectfully yours,
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