The President’s Special Representative (Harriman) to President Roosevelt 17
Dear Mr. President: As Chairman of your Special Mission to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, I am pleased to submit the following report.
In general, the Mission followed the procedure outlined in your letter of August 30, 1941, to the Secretary of War and the cablegram of September 9, 1941, to the Prime Minister of Great Britain.
Discussions were held in London during the period September 15–20, 1941, in order to determine the possibilities of British and American aid to Russia. These discussions were held with the Prime Minister, with Lord Beaverbrook and other British officials through joint committees. As a result of such discussions and your cabled decisions, the Mission was able to proceed to Russia with a well formulated program.
The American and British Missions arrived in Moscow on September 28th and after a number of conferences with Mr. Stalin and other Russian officials through committees the attached protocol18 was signed as of October 1, 1941.
Joint Committee discussions were held in London on the Victory Program of overall production required for the defeat of enemies and potential enemies. It was agreed that the studies should continue in Washington and that requirements for the maintenance of Russian resistance should be added after the return of the Missions from Moscow. In the discussions in Moscow it was not practicable to obtain, at that time, the long-range American productive capacity that would be needed by Russia.
The aid to be furnished by the United States under the protocol during the period October 1, 1941 to July 1, 1942 is detailed in the attached subsidiary reports19 which are summarized as follows:
Army:
Aviation. The United States to furnish 200 planes per month—100 fighters and 100 bombers. The total of 1800 planes to consist of 900—P–40, 828—A–20 and 72—B–25 type airplanes, together with armament, ammunition and bombs.
Ground Weapons. United States to furnish an average of 250 tanks per month, part light and part medium, together with armament and ammunition; also, 152—90 mm anti-aircraft guns with ammunition and 756—37 mm anti-tank guns with ammunition.
[Page 850]Navy:
The naval program was entirely changed as a result of the Moscow Conference and studies are still under way to determine the amount of help that can be given. Practically all items conflict with American and British commitments.
Raw Materials:
The requests included some sixty items, with a total value of $340,000,000 for the items and quantities to come from the United States. A study that has been made since the return of the Mission indicates that material to the value of $270,000,000 can be furnished. On the whole, the quantities requested are considered to be modest in view of the extent of the Russian effort and Russian losses. It is believed to be of major importance to furnish all the material possible in order to make full use of and balance the Russian productive capacity.
Medical Supplies:
The total value of the supplies requested is about $15,000,000. About one fourth of these supplies can be delivered in sixty days and the remainder within a period of one year. The American Red Cross, with the aid of the British Red Cross, is prepared to provide that part presumably intended for civilian relief. This approximates $5,000,000 in value.
Food:
The protocol lists 200,000 tons of wheat and 70,000 tons of sugar per month. It was contemplated that the wheat would come from Canada and the sugar from the Dutch East Indies and the Philippines. It is understood that negotiations are now under way between the British and American representatives as to the best sources for these materials.
Transportation:
This is a vital part of the aid program. The Russians desire to import some 500,000 tons per month, of which 270,000 tons represent food; 20,000 tons, oil; and the remainder, raw materials and war supplies. This will require 1,500,000 tons of shipping, of which the Soviet will provide 117,000 tons. They estimate that an average of some 270,000 tons of cargo per month can be received through the Port of Archangel, 224,000 tons through the Vladivostok region and 6,000 tons through the Persian Gulf. Archangel is vulnerable for two reasons; one, it is ordinarily frozen from December to June, although it is hoped to keep it sufficiently open this winter by icebreakers to permit the receipt of a large part of its capacity, and, two, the only exit is over one railroad which is not too distant from the front. The difficulties with Vladivostok are the danger of interruption [Page 851] by Japan and the long freight haul of one hundred days duration to the Moscow region. The Persian route passes through extensive and difficult mountain terrain and requires considerable development before it can be of importance. It is expected that steps will be taken to increase the capacity of this route to 60,000 tons per month. It is obvious that difficult shipping problems are involved and they must be solved jointly by the Russian, British and American shipping authorities.
The aid programs outlined above will cost approximately $1,000,000,000 prior to next July. While the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, with the aid of Reconstruction Finance Corporation and Treasury loans, has financed the October shipments, it is impossible for Russia to continue to finance the full program. In addition, there are practical reasons of procedure making the use of lend-lease mechanism most desirable. It is recommended that the use of lend-lease funds be authorized at the earliest moment possible.
In conclusion, it is the conviction of the Mission that Russia can make very effective use of the latest types of American equipment and that Russia will continue to fight even in retreat. It is believed that her continuation as an active belligerent is of paramount importance and that every effort should be made to assist her and assist her promptly. It is recommended that the aid proposed herein and in the attached reports of the various committees20 be approved by you.
Respectfully yours,