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File No. 855.48/807

The Chargé in Great Britain (Laughlin) to the Secretary of State

[Telegram]

LONDON, October 26, 1918, 5.32 p. m.

[Received October 26, 5.32 p. m.]

3127. For Hoover [from Relief Commission]:

No. 282. Saturday. There are 6,000 evacuées in Holland. Fourteen thousand more expected shortly. Dutch Government and Commission representatives taking every possible step to care for them in Belgium. Owing to unavoidable conditions evacuées are suffering terribly from diseases, insufficient clothing, and shelter. Everything possible being done by Dutch and Spanish Ministers, C[omité] N[ational], C.R.B., and above all by population of Belgium itself. Germans making strong efforts to provide transportation for evacuées and as far as possible reduce suffering. . . . All arrangements tentatively made for convoy of Relief ships to Channel ports or Flushing should same be necessary. Only action required on your side will be turning over vessels with information about speed and destination, whereupon they will be convoyed to designated port in Holland or Flanders. Leach is making report on Lille, Roubaix, Tourcoing districts. Unless successful in getting other representatives will send him to Belgium.

Representatives of Lebrun and Vilgrain for French Government have made investigation of ravitaillement organization and find it so complete and in all ways satisfactory that, reversing their first intention to reorganize the whole work themselves, French Government wish the feeding to be continued, as they say: "The French Government will be glad to have the Commission for Relief continue its task in the French liberated territories until such time as normal life may be renewed in those regions." It is, of course, understood that the French Government will complete the rations imported by the [C.R.B.?]. My judgment is that we should only resume feeding city districts of France, which we estimate will include not over three or four hundred thousand, when possible to do so through Terneuzen Canal, or, if this delayed too much, we could divert eight or ten thousand tons per month to Dunkirk whence there is a good canal to Lille, turning over cargo ship's side to French authorities to be delivered to [relief] committees, our direct responsibility ending ship's side. What is your position? Have arranged keep separate accountability of supplies for released territories. Your No. 77.1 Suggest you see Davis who arrived in Washington today regarding 'Not printed.

British Treasury action on relief expenditures account of charters, etc., advising what further action we should take here. Relief Commission.

LAUGHLIN

File No. 855.48/819a

The Secretary of State to the Chargé in Great Britain (Laughlin)

[Telegram]

WASHINGTON, October 29, 1918.

2484. For Poland from Hoover:

Your 282, our 90.1 Have cabled Simpson. Kellogg will of course do anything you wish. Seems to us we must assist French from Rotterdam as soon as canals open and until communication is restored from south. If opening of Terneuzen Canal much longer delayed seems to me you will need to divert some cargo to Dunkirk for both France and Belgium, provided flour mills undestroyed. Arrange accounts and method of handling French relief in accordance with wishes French authorities, consulting Vilgrain. Do not be too hasty in final selection of delegates as we desire only highest grade for new work. Will cable our suggestions soon as our position is clear. Cable date when Red Cross expedition for Italy, et cetera, propose to leave Paris.

LANSING

File No. 855.48/809

The Belgian Minister (De Cartier) to the Secretary of State

WASHINGTON, October 29, 1918.

SIR: I have the honor of transmitting to you herewith a memorandum in regard to the work of reconstruction of Belgium, which the Government of the King desires to submit for the consideration of the Government of the United States, which has consistently shown such sympathy and devotion to my country.

The plan of reconstruction tentatively outlined in this memorandum has also been laid before the Governments of France and Great Britain in accordance with the sentiments expressed by those Governments in the Declaration of Sainte-Addresse, and on other occasions. In order to facilitate an exchange of views and to arrive rapidly at a solution of the question, the Government of the King requests that the Government of the United States will be kind enough to

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designate someone, now in Europe, with whom the matter may be discussed and to whom any information or explanations desired by the United States may be furnished.

Please accept [etc.]

E. DE CARTIER

[Enclosure]

The Belgian Legation to the Department of State

MEMORANDUM

1. The Belgian Government suggests to the Government of the United States and to British and French Governments that all orders given by the Belgian Government for supplies needed for the restoration of Belgium, be assimilated to war necessities, that is to say, that they should enjoy a right of preference and be executed by means similar to those which the Allied Governments have employed to satisfy war needs.

2. By the expression "industrial and agricultural restoration of Belgium," is meant the delivery on Belgian territory of material and merchandise needed, in addition to what the enemy may have left in the country, for the reestablishment and recuperation, in equivalent power and quantity, of means of production and transportation and of materials, whether raw, in process of manufacture, or finished, which were in the possession of Belgian citizens on August 4, 1914. The inventory of such goods and merchandise will be made in good faith by the Belgian Government.

3. In view of the fact that the length of time within which the restoration must be effected, is of capital importance, it would seem advisable that among the means to be utilized for such restoration, the United States and the Allies would, in case of necessity, examine the question of taking from their own stocks and commandeering from governmental and private concerns the necessary goods and material, whether raw, in process of manufacture or finished.

4. Payments for goods delivered to Belgium shall be made by the United States and Allied Governments to their nationals and debited to a special account opened for Belgium and such payments shall be reimbursable under conditions to be determined, from the indemnity to be paid to Belgium by the Central Powers, in reparation of damages caused.

5. The Belgian Government appoints the "Comptoir National pour la Reprise de l'Activité Economique en Belgique " as its agents for the execution of such matters relating to industrial restoration, and the "Association Nationale pour la Restauration de l'Agriculture en Belgique " as its agent for the execution of such matters relating to agricultural restoration.

6. The needs of Belgium shall be laid before an inter-Allied commission composed of delegates of those countries which participate in the restoration of Belgium.

The Belgian Government will present and explain its programs through a permanent commissioner assisted by technical delegates. 7. The object of this inter-Allied commission will be to make a summary examination of the programs in order to assert that they do not include any exaggerated items and then to distribute the execution of these programs among the Allied countries. In each of these countries there shall be established a national commission to which shall be sent the programs assigned to it by the inter-Allied commission.

These national commissions, composed as they will be of prominent men, will have a great influence upon the success of the work of the restoration of Belgium.

8. The rôle of the national commissions will be to make known to Belgian interests the industrial, commercial and agricultural resources available in their respective countries for delivery in Belgium; to bring about, between the Belgian executive agents and the Allied producers, direct relations with a view to the examining and discussing the terms and conditions of orders, and ultimately sanction these orders, giving them the character of governmental purchases which will secure for them the right of priority proper to war necessities.

9. Every restitution in kind which it may be deemed opportune to demand from the enemy will diminish by so much the need for supplies for the restoration of Belgium. In the same way whatever the Congo will be in a position to provide will not be asked from the United States and the allies of Belgium.

File No. 855.48/820

President Wilson to the Secretary of State

WASHINGTON, November 6, 1918.
[Received November 8.]

MY DEAR MR. SECRETARY: In view of the approaching evacuation of Belgium and the new problems that confront this unfortunate people, I have asked Mr. Hoover to expand the activities of the Commission for Relief in Belgium to cover the entire relationship of this Government, and possibly that of other governments, together with all American public charity, to the whole business not only of food but also clothing, raw material, tools, machinery, exchange and other economic relief involved in the reconstruction of Belgium.

I would be obliged if your Department would give him all support and cooperation in this matter and refer to him for guidance in all questions of an economic order that arise in any connection between Belgium and this country.

Faithfully yours,

File No. 855.50/20

WOODROW WILSON

The Minister in Belgium (Whitlock) to the Secretary of State

[Telegram]

HAVRE, November 9, 1918, 9 p. m.

[Received November 10, 7.34 a. m.]

153. Director General of the Belgian Foreign Office in absence of Hymans has been to see me with reference to the program of reconstruction of Belgium. He says that he fears that there is a misunderstanding at Washington of the situation and implores me to help him to make it clear. The situation in Belgium is indeed grave. There are no means of giving employment to the industrial population and with events moving as swiftly as they are, within a fortnight the regions around Charleroi and Mons will be delivered and a million workmen, nearly all Socialists, will be demanding work and if it cannot be provided the gravest social disturbances are to be feared. The Belgian Government is in despair and looks to America and to Hoover for that help which has heretofore never failed. England indicates its willingness to give priority on all orders for machinery for Belgium, and while France can do little the relations that have existed between Belgium and these two countries make it impossible for Belgium to exclude their interest. What Belgium wants is industrial machinery to equip her factories and so Belgian Government would like to have priority given to orders placed in America and priority as well for their shipment to Belgium, the credits to be adjusted according to the program already submitted at Washington. If that program is not acceptable the Belgian Government would like to have the American Government or Hoover send at once a criticism of the program or suggest another program or delegate some competent person now in France to discuss the details. The urgency is great and if Belgium is to be saved some solution must be reached before the rest of her territory is delivered. It is with the greatest sympathy for the situation in which Belgium now finds herself that I forward for Belgium appeal to the President, to you, and to Hoover. We have saved her from famine, we must save her from revolution.

WHITLOCK

59665-33- -32

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