861.24/1740: Telegram

The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Harriman) to the Secretary of State

672. Moscow newspapers for February 29 publish as their most prominent foreign news a London report of Crowley’s statement51 regarding American shipments of munitions and other lend-lease material to Soviet Union in 43.

Reporting almost 200% increase of 43 over 42, and giving overall dollar and tonnage figures for the period October 41 to January 44 item states that American shipments reached their peak in December 43. Item also reports that while in 42, of every hundred ships carrying cargoes for the USSR the enemy sank 12, in 43 only one in every hundred were sunk. Item gives figures of delivery of 7800 airplanes, 3,000 of them delivered by air, 4700 tanks, 170,000 trucks, automobiles, [Page 1057] and 25,000 other military machines delivered up to January 1st 44. It also reports that figure of 5,000 planes in 43 was more than double that of the preceding year. Figure of 6 million pairs of army shoes as well as great quantity of provisions for Soviet Army, and aid to liberated areas, including 9,000 tons of seeds, is also reported.

Harriman
  1. Statement by the Foreign Economic Administrator, February 28, Department of State Bulletin, March 4, 1944, p. 223.