FROM FOREIGN OFFICE TO WASHINGTON

IMMEDIATE
DEDIP
TOP SECRET

Following is text of personal message from Prime Minister to President Roosevelt. No. 730 of 14th July.

(Begins)

I ought to send you the immediately following minute which I have received from Mr. Llewellin, the British Food Minister. We wish to do everything we can to help you and Mr. Hull with the South American countries; but we think you ought to have the formidable argument of this minute before you. Please remember that this community of 46 millions imported 66 million tons a year before the war and is now managing on less than 25 millions. The stamina of the workman cannot be maintained on a lesser diet in meat. You would not send your soldiers into battle on the British Service ration, which is far above what is given to workmen. Your people are eating per head more meat and more poultry than before the war while ours are most sharply cut. I believe that if this were put before Mr. Hull he would do all he could to help us to obtain a new contract and nothing which would jeopardise its chances. I therefore hope that you will do so.

(Ends).

O.T.F.

Ministry of Food
Portman Court,
Portman Square
London, W.1.

4th July, 1944.

My dear Anthony,

You already know from the various talks we have had together how much concerned I am with the position in regard to the most important food supplies which we get from the Argentine.

It seems to me that the recall, even if it only be on leave, of our Ambassador marks a further deterioration in our relationships with the Argentine.

I am not sure whether the Prime Minister is aware how vitally important it is to us in particular to retain our supplies of meat from the Argentine if we are to maintain our present ration scale and it is in my view unthinkable that we should reduce that scale at this stage of the war.

I am therefore proposing to send him a minute on the subject and enclose herewith a copy of what I propose.

/If

The Rt. Hon. Anthony Eden, M.C., M.P.,
Foreign Office
Downing Street, S.W.1.

If you have any comments upon it perhaps you would be good enough to get your private Secretary to ring my Private Secretary during the course of tomorrow.

Yours,
Jay Llewellin.

PRIME MINISTER

I am very worried at the position into which we are getting with the Argentine.

I depend upon that country for over 40 per cent of my imported meat. If I fail to get it, the 1/2d. meat ration will have to be reduced by about 5d. Even a temporary loss of supplies will reduce the ration.

It is no use the Americans saying they can make good any meat we fail to obtain from the Argentine. I do not believe that they could do it. Anyway, the public is already heartily sick and tired of American pork and they want beef and mutton which the Argentine supplies.

My present contract with the Argentine runs out in October. I am anxious to renew it for three to four years, in order to make sure that the people of this country will get the meat they want and need, not only for the rest of the war, but for the period of shortage afterwards.

It is going to be most difficult for me to persuade the Argentines to let me have all their exportable surplus of meat for this [period, unless we can surmount the present political difficulties. If we fail to get it our position on the Combined Food Board is much weakened, as we shall be contributing less supplies to the common pool. Further, both the Americans and ourselves are running the risk of those liberated countries which have foreign balances competing independently for the meat, running up the prices and thus benefiting only the Argentines.

I think therefore you ought to be warned now of the position which is likely to arise.

4th July, 1944.

Sources: FO/954/14B; FO/954/30B