861.24/748
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Assistant Chief of the Division of European Affairs (Henderson)
| Participants: | Dean Acheson, Assistant Secretary of State; Mr. Loy W. Henderson, Assistant Chief, Division of European Affairs; Mr. Gromyko, Soviet Chargé d’Affaires in Washington; Mr. Lukashev, President of the Amtorg Trading Corporation. |
At Mr. Gromyko’s request, Mr. Acheson received Mr. Gromyko and Mr. Loukachev on the morning of November 19, 1941. Mr. Henderson of the Division of European Affairs was present during the conversation. Mr. Gromyko and Mr. Loukachev stated substantially as follows:
They had requested the interview in the hope that the State Department might assist the Soviet Government and Amtorg in obtaining ships in order to forward military equipment and other supplies to the Soviet Union. At the present time, the efforts which were being made by the Government of the United States to aid the Soviet Union were being frustrated by the lack of ships. This situation could be described only as catastrophic so far as the Soviet Union is concerned. In October six cargo ships which had been made available to Amtorg were loaded and proceeded to the Soviet Union. During November thus far seven cargo ships have been made available to [Page 863] Amtorg, three of which have cleared for Soviet ports, while four are being loaded. Already at the docks, for the most part in New York and Boston, is cargo of sufficient bulk to fill eighteen additional ships which according to plan should have gone forward in October. Seven additional ships have been promised for the month of November by the United States authorities but thus far they have not been made available to Amtorg. In addition to the equipment on the docks are sufficient equipment and other supplies to fill 80 additional cargo vessels. Such equipment and supplies are in warehouses, factories and railway cars in various parts of the United States awaiting instructions from Amtorg to proceed. About fifty per cent of such equipment and supplies represents military equipment; about thirty per cent, foodstuffs, and the remainder, articles and materials of a varying character. There will be required from now on about eighty cargo ships monthly to carry to the Soviet Union merchandise which according to the program is to be delivered to the Soviet Government by the United States. The Soviet Embassy and Amtorg have on various occasions made direct appeals for shipping facilities to Admiral Land40 of the Maritime Commission, Mr. Stettinius, General Sidney Spalding of Defense Aid Reports, and General George Spalding who is in direct charge of shipping to the Soviet Union. Seventy-five per cent of the cargo of the ships required should proceed to Archangel. Most of the remainder could be forwarded to various ports in the Persian Gulf. The facilities at Archangel are such as to permit the unloading of approximately 270,000 tons of cargo monthly and the smaller ports in the Archangel area could take care of an additional 270,000 tons. Archangel and the adjacent ports, therefore could handle 540,000 tons monthly. The effects of the shipping delays thus far encountered have already been seriously felt in the Soviet Union and are being felt more seriously every day. In estimating the number of ships needed, it has been calculated that the average ship could carry about five thousand tons. Mr. Acheson informed Mr. Gromyko and Mr. Loukachev that the matter would at once be taken up with the appropriate authorities of this Government. He added that there could be no doubt that the various American agencies which were working on the matter were doing everything possible in order to provide shipping facilities.41
Mr. Gromyko stated that he had found in all quarters a desire to cooperate but for some reason the ships were so far not forthcoming. He said he wished to stress again the urgency of this matter.