FOOD RELIEF-Continued

Date and number

Subject

The Food Administrator (Hoover) to the Ambassador in Italy
(Page) (tel.)

For Italian Food Minister: Concern over withdrawal by
Italian representatives at London of January order for pork
products; impossibility of withdrawing shipments; hope that
instructions will be issued to reestablish the order. Informa-
tion that Italian representatives are awaiting instructions
regarding participation in 100,000,000-bushel grain purchase.
Colonel E. M. House to the French Minister for Foreign Affairs
(Pichon)

Information that the President accepts M. Pichon's sugges-
tion of December 23 for a special council of two members from
each of the four Governments, suggests that at first meeting
the representatives state what participation and resources
they can and will contribute, has appointed Mr. Hoover and
Mr. Davis as American members, and has asked Mr. Hoover,
as Director General of Relief, to call a meeting as soon as
possible.

The Commission to Negotiate Peace to the Ambassador in Great
Britain (Davis) (tel.)

Letter from Colonel House to Mr. Balfour, handed to Lord
Derby (text printed), containing copy of the letter to
M. Pichon; instructions to hand Foreign Office a memoran-
dum containing these letters.

Page

688

689

690

The Commission to Negotiate Peace to the Ambassador in Italy
(Page) (tel.)

Letter from Colonel House to Baron Sonnino, handed to
Italian Ambassador in France (text printed), enclosing copy
of the letter to M. Pichon; instructions to hand Foreign
Minister a memorandum containing these letters.

690

Copy of Telegram From the British Foreign Office to the British
Ambassador in France (Derby)

691

For Colonel House: Information that M. Pichon's letter
of December 23 embodies British views, and if President
Wilson concurs therein and so informs British Government,
the respective Governments should proceed to nominate their
representatives.

The Special Representative of the Treasury in Europe (Davis)
to Colonel E. M. House

Transmittal of a proposed cable to Rathbone regarding
relief situation.

The Commission to Negotiate Peace to the Acting Secretary of
State (tel.)

For the Secretary of the Treasury from the President:
Necessity of providing food and supplies to countries destitute
of resources or credit; request that Congress make immediate
appropriation of $100,000,000 available to the President for
this purpose.

691

692

ST

1

FOOD RELIEF-Continued

Date and
number

1919 Jan. 2 (132)

[Jan. 2]
(48)

Subject

The Commission to Negotiate Peace to the Acting Secretary of
State (tel.)

For Rathbone from Davis: Advisability of immediate
action to prevent starvation and anarchy in Roumania;
Hoover's proposal for an advance of $5,000,000 to Roumania
for expenditure through Food Administration or Grain Cor-
poration to cover cost of supplies en route to Mediterranean
which could be diverted to Roumania. Hoover's decision to
send 10,000 tons of flour into Vienna, in view of desperate
situation there, paying for same out of Presidential fund.
The Commission to Negotiate Peace to the Acting Secretary of
State (tel.)

From Lansing: Instructions to inform Secretary of the Treasury that immediate relief for Roumania is imperative; opinion that Roumania's present state of hostilities entitles her to come within provisions of the law relating to Treasury advances.

The Food Administrator (Hoover) to Colonel E. M. House

Request that Colonel House forward to Foreign Ministries copy of letter from Mr. Hoover to the three Food Ministers (text printed) recommending that certain foodstuffs of which a surplus exists in the United States be exempted from restrictions with regard to neutral and enemy trading.

Page

693

695

695

The Commission to Negotiate Peace to the Acting Secretary of
State (tel.)

698

4

4

For the Secretary of the Treasury: Extreme urgency of the
action proposed by the President in telegram No. 127 of
January 1.

The Acting Secretary of State to the Commission to Negotiate
Peace (tel.)

For the Secretary of State: Information from Representative
Swagar Sherley, Chairman of House Appropriations Commit-
tee, that it will be difficult to get the proposed relief appropria-
tion without facts as to how the work will be done, what
security, if any, will be given, and whether the other Powers
will contribute their share.

The Commission to Negotiate Peace to the Acting Secretary of
State (tel.)

For Glass from Davis: Assumption that position that all
questions with reference to U. S. foreign loans should be dis-
cussed and disposed of in Washington does not exclude con-
sideration and recommendations in respect to applications for
loans for relief.

Colonel E. M. House to the British Ambassador in France (Derby)
Request that British Government be informed, with respect
to a telegram from Lord Reading stating that council should be
appointed to decide questions of general policy and Mr.
Hoover as mandatory should be entrusted with actual adminis-
tration of the relief, that U. S. proposals have never contem-
plated that President's appointee act as the mandatory of an
Allied council.

698

699

699

FOOD RELIEF-Continued

Date and number

Subject

The Acting Secretary of State to the Commission to Negotiate
Peace (tel.)

For the Secretary of State: Inability of Treasury Department
to make proposed loan to Roumania unless (1) Roumania may
be regarded as a belligerent within meaning of act of Congress,
(2) Roumanian representative in Washington has authority to
sign obligations, and (3) loan is to be used for the purpose con-
templated by the act of Congress; or unless President directs
Treasury to make loan as a matter of policy.

The French Minister of Commerce (Clémentel) to the Food Ad-
ministrator (Hoover)

Information that a communiqué has been given to press
(text printed) for the purpose of dispelling impression created
by American communiqué that the United States has under-
taken relief of the liberated areas of France and Alsace-
Lorraine.

The Food Administrator (Hoover) to the Acting Food Adminis-
trator (Rickard) (tel.)

Letter to British Food Ministry, January 2 (text printed),
stating that the problem of surplus production in the United
States has become acute, and with reduction of British orders
an extremely critical situation has arisen which must be solved.
The Chargé in Bulgaria (Wilson) to the Commission to Negotiate
Peace (tel.)

Urgent need of Bulgaria for flour.
(Request to repeat to Department.)

Page

700

701

703

704

The Food Administrator (Hoover) to the Acting Food Adminis-
trator (Rickard) (tel.)

6

Information with respect to relief now being furnished by the
other Allied Governments to Serbia, Syria, South Austria, and
Belgium; urgency of action by Congress on proposed relief
appropriation.

The Ambassador in Italy (Page) to the Commission to Negotiate
Peace (tel.)

For Hoover from Crespi: Dispatch of instructions to accept
20,000 tons of pork for January and to accept Italian share of
grain purchase.

704

705

The Commission to Negotiate Peace to the Acting Secretary of
State (tel.)

705

Jan. 6 (107)

Summary of present relief plans to be administered by
Hoover with aid of Allied council; other information in support
of proposed relief appropriation.

The Acting Secretary of State to the Commission to Negotiate
Peace (tel.)

For the Secretary of State: Urgency of some expression from
Secretary before appropriation question comes up in House;
message from Chairmen of Senate and House appropriations
committees reporting existence of considerable opposition and
inquiring how much money England, France, and Italy will
provide (text printed).

707

P

FOOD RELIEF-Continued

Date and

number

Subject

The Acting Secretary of State to the Commission to Negotiate
Peace (tel.)

For Hoover: Letter from French Chargé, dated December
21, 1918 (text printed), suggesting that Allies, in their humane
feelings toward Austria and sympathy for plight of Vienna as
to coal, not forget that Czechoslovak State is still laboring
under Austrian intrigues which are even now being carried on.

The Acting Secretary of State to the Chargé in France (Bliss) (tel.)

From Rathbone for Davis: Readiness of Treasury to ad-
vance $5,000,000 against Roumanian obligations to pay for
American foodstuffs when Department of State has advised
that legal difficulties are cleared.

The Acting Secretary of State to the Chargé in France (Bliss) (tel.)
For Davis from Rathbone: Instructions to receive and study
all applications for relief loans.

Page

707

708

709

The Acting Secretary of State to the Commission to Negotiate
Peace (tel.)

For the President from Glass: Transmittal to Congress of
the President's request for $100,000,000 relief appropriation;
optimistic attitude.

The Acting Secretary of State to the Commission to Negotiate
Peace (tel.)

For the Secretary of State: Fear of Chairman Sherley that
difficulties will arise; his desire for all available information.

The Food Administrator (Hoover) to the Acting Food Adminis-
trator (Rickard) (tel.)

Instructions to announce that President has signed license
cancellations list No. 1, effective January 10; summary of
economic factors to be taken into consideration with respect
to commodity regulations still outstanding.

The Commission to Negotiate Peace to the Acting Secretary of
State (tel.)

For Senator Lodge from Mr. Henry White: Arguments for
immediate granting of President's request for $100,000,000
relief appropriation.

The Acting Secretary of State to the Commission to Negotiate
Peace (tel.)

For the Secretary of State: Information from Chairman
Sherley that Rules Committee refused special ruling for relief
appropriation bill, and that without further information he is
powerless.

The Commission to Negotiate Peace to the Acting Secretary of
State (tel.)

For the Secretary of the Treasury from the President:
Existence of extremely dangerous situation in Roumania;
strong approval of the $5,000,000 advance to Roumania so as
to allow shipment of urgently needed food pending relief ap-
propriation now in Congress.

709

709

710

711

712

712

Date and number

FOOD RELIEF-Continued

Subject

Page

The Commission to Negotiate Peace to the Acting Secretary of
State (tel.)

For the Secretary of War from the President: Letter from
Hoover reporting British withdrawal of customary monthly
orders on behalf of Allied Governments and predicting debacle
in American market unless situation is remedied (text printed),
and his memorandum for presentation to Allied Premiers (text
printed). President's query whether, if Hoover's plan does not
succeed, War Department should not make the necessary pur-
chases and ship the material to Europe for distribution under
its direction as a military measure.

The Commission to Negotiate Peace to the Acting Secretary of
State (tel.)

From the Secretary of State for Polk for Sherley: Informa-
tion that American mission of investigation to Czechoslovakia
has recommended immediate dispatch of additional supplies.
The Secretary of State to the Acting Secretary of State (tel).

For Polk for Sherley: Message from Hoover's representative in Serbia and neighborhood territories (text printed), stating urgent need for two or three cargoes of mixed provisions. (Instructions to give copy to Food Administration.)

The Secretary of State to the Acting Secretary of State (tel.)

713

715

716

716

For Polk for Sherley: Telegram from Polish Government, dated January 3 (text printed), appealing for food, clothing, and transportation facilities for relief cargoes.

Jan. 9 (173)

The Commission to Negotiate Peace to the Acting Secretary of
State (tel.)

717

Jan. 11 (239)

Undated [Rec'd Jan. 12] (198)

Jan. 12 (260)

For Polk for Sherley from Lansing: Message from Allied
mission at Vienna (text printed) stating authorization to ship
Austria 30,000 tons without regard to immediate financial
arrangement, and advising that condition is very urgent.

The Commission to Negotiate Peace to the Acting Secretary of
State (tel.)

From Lansing: Information as to Allied willingness to con-
tribute relief; instructions to furnish Chairman Sherley with
all appeals for assistance; strong recommendation for passage
of bill.

The Acting Secretary of State to the Commission to Negotiate
Peace (tel.)

For Auchincloss: Intention of Chairman Sherley to bring
up food appropriation bill; his desire to learn names and
appointment dates of representatives of the other Governments
on Hoover's Inter-Allied Relief Commission.

The Commission to Negotiate Peace to the Acting Secretary of
State (lel.)

From Auchincloss: Names of British and French representa-
tives on the Inter-Allied Relief Commission; understanding
that Italian delegates are en route.

(Footnote: Information that first meeting of this body, known as the Supreme Council of Supply and Relief, was held at Paris on January 11; that on February 25 the name was changed to the Food Section of the Supreme Economic Council.)

717

718

718