(c) Memorandum of Understanding Regarding Settlement for Lend-Lease, Reciprocal Aid, Surplus War Property, and Claims

1. The Government of the United States of America and the Provisional Government of the French Republic have reached an understanding for the final settlement of lend-lease and reciprocal aid, and of the French obligation to the United States Government under the military supply program (Plan A); the acquisition by the French Government of certain United States Army and Navy surplus property, including installations, located in France and certain French overseas territories, and for the final settlement of other financial claims of each Government against the other arising out of the conduct of the war. In arriving at this understanding both Governments have recognized the considerations expressed in Article VII of their Preliminary Agreement of February 28, 1945, on the principles applying to mutual aid, as well as the benefits accruing to each from the contributions of both to the defeat of their common enemies. In the light of the foregoing, both Governments agree that no further benefits will be sought as consideration for lend-lease and reciprocal aid.

2. The net amount due from the French Government to the United States Government for the foregoing, including all indebtedness arising from provisions of the lend-lease and reciprocal aid agreements of February 28, 1945, is $720,000,000, made up in part of amounts now agreed upon and in part of estimated amounts subject to revision. The latter, for which the best available figures have been used pending their final determination by agreed accounting procedures, represent in the main transfers after September 1, 1945.

3. The French Government will pay interest on the net amount due to the United States Government from July 1, 1946, at the rate of two percent per annum. Such interest payments will be made annually on the first day of July of each of the years 1947 to 1950, inclusive. Beginning on July 1, 1951, interest and principal will be paid in thirty (30) equal annual installments. Each installment shall consist of the full amount of the interest due for the year preceding the July 1 on which the payment is made, and the remainder of the installment shall be the principal due in that year. Nothing herein shall be construed to prevent the French Government from anticipating the payment of any of such installments, or of any part thereof. If, by agreement of both Governments, it is determined that because of extraordinary and adverse economic conditions arising during the course of payment, the payment of any installment would not be in the joint interest of both Governments, payment may be postponed for an agreed upon period.

To the extent that the terms of payment provided in this paragraph 3 are inconsistent with those contained in previous agreements, the provisions of this paragraph shall prevail.

4. The two Governments have agreed upon arrangements and procedures for the settlement of past and future troop pay and procurement of United States Armed Forces in France and French overseas territories.

5. As and when requested by the United States Government from time to time prior to January 1, 1950, the French Government will transfer to the United States Government real property to be mutually

agreed upon and not to exceed a total dollar value of $15,000,000. In addition, the French Government will provide, at the request of the United States Government, francs representing an aggregate dollar value not in excess of $10,000,000. Any francs so transferred will be furnished at the exchange rate established in conformity with procedures of the International Monetary Fund, or if no such rate exists, at the rate used in official French Government transactions at the time of such transfer. The United States Government will use francs so transferred exclusively to acquire or improve real property for United States Government use or to carry out educational programs agreed between the two Governments.

Transfers made in accordance with this paragraph 5 will be credited first to interest then due and then to installments of principal in direct order of maturity.

6. The two Governments have also agreed upon the following:

a) All claims and financial obligations between the two Governments arising out of the acquisition, operation, disposition or loss of French vessels and cargoes of such vessels while under United States control will be settled by the United States for $17,500,000 in accordance with the provisions of an agreement relating to the purchase by France of up to 75 Liberty ships.

b) Both Governments express their intention of entering into a maritime claims agreement, providing for the mutual waiver of intergovernmental claims arising from maritime accidents, and for the handling by each Government of claims asserted in its courts by its nationals against the other Government and based on maritime accidents occurring prior to November 1, 1945.

c) As part of the general settlement, the French Government has agreed to process and pay all unpaid claims of French residents against the United States Government arising out of the use or infringement in war production of patent rights held by them, out of the requisitioning by the United States Government for use in the war program of any property interest owned by French residents, and out of acts or omissions prior to July 1, 1946, in France or French overseas territories of members of the United States Armed Forces or civilian personnel attached to such Forces.

d) During the course of the negotiations both Governments have reached agreement on the disposition of certain specific claims of one Government against the other. All other financial claims of either Government against the other, except where liability has heretofore been acknowledged and the method of computation agreed, which (1) arose out of lend-lease or reciprocal aid, or (2) otherwise arose on or after September 3, 1939, and prior to September 2, 1945, out of or incidental to the conduct of the war, not otherwise dealt with in this Memorandum of Understanding, are hereby waived.

e) Appropriate non-discriminatory treatment will be extended by the French Government to United States nationals in the use and disposition of installations in the building of which there has been a United States Government contribution and which are transferred under this settlement.

f) The United States Government reserves its right of recapture of any lend-lease articles held by the French Armed Forces, except petroleum products and an agreed list of non-combat aircraft. The United States Government has indicated that it does not intend to exercise

generally this right of recapture, except that vessels of the United States Navy and lend-lease merchant vessels are to be returned to the United States Government unless otherwise agreed.

g) Disposals for military use to forces other than the French Armed Forces of lend-lease articles held on September 2, 1945, or received thereafter by the French Armed Forces, and disposals for civilian use other than in France and French overseas territories of such lend-lease articles, will be made only with the consent of the United States Government and any net proceeds will be paid to the United States Government. The French Government will not, except to a very limited extent, release for civilian use in, or export from, France and French overseas territories lend-lease articles held by the French Armed Forces.

h) Except as otherwise provided in this Memorandum of Understanding, the French Government and the United States Government receive full title to lend-lease and reciprocal aid articles respectively held as of September 2, 1945, or transferred thereafter. If any United States surplus installation not transferred under this Memorandum of Understanding contains a lend-lease interest, such lend-lease interest is retained by the United States.

i) The United States Government will undertake to make available to the French Government part of the United States Government's share of captured German and Japanese surface naval vessels when such vessels become excess to United States needs and are no longer needed for any task connected with the implementation of the German and Japanese surrenders.

7. The two Governments agree to conclude such specific agreements as may be necessary to implement this general understanding.

8. This Memorandum of Understanding will be effective upon signature, and instruments of ratification will be exchanged as soon as possible.

DONE at Washington, in duplicate, in the English and French languages, both texts being equally authentic, this 28th day of May, 1946.

For the Government of the United States of America:

JAMES F. BYRNES

For the Provisional Government of the French Republic:

LEON BLUM

GREAT BRITAIN

134. ANGLO-AMERICAN FINANCIAL AND COMMERCIAL AGREEMENTS, DECEMBER 6, 1945

(a) Statement by President Truman and Prime Minister

Attlee1

The economic and financial discussions between officials of the United States and United Kingdom Governments meeting in Washington have now been completed.

1 Department of State publication 2439, Commercial Policy Series 80. Released simultaneously in Washington and London.

These discussions have been concerned with the major problems affecting the basic economic and financial relations between the two countries, in the light of the provisions of article VII of the mutualaid agreement between their Governments signed February 23, 1942. They have covered the questions of financial assistance from the United States to the United Kingdom, the demobilization of wartime trade and monetary restrictions, the settlement of lend-lease, the disposal of surplus war property in the United Kingdom owned by the United States, and, finally, long-range commercial policies in the broad sense, embracing the fields of trade barriers and discriminations, policies in respect of commodities in world surplus, cartels, an international trade organization, and international aspects of domestic measures to maintain employment.

The purpose of the discussions has been to arrive at mutually advantageous solutions of these problems which the two Governments would commend to the peoples and legislatures of the two countries and to the world as a whole.

Both sides have been fully conscious of the significance to other countries, as well as their own, of the outcome of these discussions, and they have from the beginning had continuously in view the common interest of their Governments in establishing a world trading and monetary system from which the trade of all countries can benefit and within which the trade of all countries can be conducted on a multilateral, non-discriminatory basis.

The discussions have been successful.

Agreement has been reached, subject to the approval of the legislatures of both countries, for the extension by the United States to the United Kingdom of a line of credit of $3,750,000,000 on the terms stated in the financial agreement signed this day, for the following purposes: to facilitate purchases by the United Kingdom of goods and services from the United States, to assist the United Kingdom to meet transitional post-war deficits in its current balance of payments, to help the United Kingdom to maintain adequate reserves of gold and dollars, and to assist the United Kingdom to assume the obligations of multilateral trade. This credit would make is possible for the United Kingdom to relax import and exchange controls, including exchange arrangements affecting the sterling area, and generally to move forward with the United States and other countries toward the common objective of expanded multilateral trade.

Agreement has been reached for the final settlement of lend-lease and reciprocal aid, the disposal of surplus war property in the United Kingdom owned by the United States, and the final settlement of the claims of each Government against the other arising out of the conduct of the war.

Agreement has been reached on the broad principles of commercial policy for which the two Governments will seek general international support.

These arrangements, if carried out, will put an end to the fear of an economically divided world; will make possible, throughout the world, the expansion of employment and of the production, exchange, and consumption of goods; and will bring into being, for the first time, a common code of equitable rules for the conduct of international trade policies and relations.

The realization of these proposals will depend upon the support given them by the peoples and legislatures of the United States and the United Kingdom, and where they envisage measures requiring broad international collaboration, the support of other countries.

The following documents resulting from these discussions are being issued by the two Governments:

Financial agreement.

Joint statement regarding the understanding reached on commercial policy.

Joint statement regarding settlement for lend-lease and reciprocal aid, surplus war property, and claims.

(b) Joint Statement Regarding Commercial Policy

The Secretary of State of the United States has made public today a document setting forth certain "Proposals for Consideration by an International Conference on Trade and Employment". These proposals have the endorsement of the Executive branch of the Government of the United States and have been submitted to other Governments as a basis for discussion preliminary to the holding of such a conference.

Equally, the Government of the United Kingdom is in full agreement on all important points in these proposals and accepts them as a basis for international discussion; and it will, in common with the United States Government, use its best endeavors to bring such discussions to a successful conclusion, in the light of the views expressed by other countries.

The two Governments have also agreed upon the procedures for the international negotiation and implementation of these proposals. To this end they have undertaken to begin preliminary negotiat ons at an early date between themselves and with other countries for the purpose of developing concrete arrangements to carry out these proposals, including definitive measures for the relaxation of trade barriers of all kinds.

These negotiations will relate to tariffs and preferences, quantitative restrictions, subsidies, state trading, cartels, and other types of trade barriers treated in the document published by the United States and referred to above. The negotiations will proceed in accordance with the principles laid down in that document.

(c) Joint Statement Regarding Settlement for Lend-Lease and Reciprocal Aid, Surplus War Property, and Claims

1. The Governments of the United States and the United Kingdom have reached an understanding for the settlement of lend-lease and reciprocal aid, for the acquisition of United States Army and Navy surplus property, and the United States interest in installations, located in the United Kingdom, and for the final settlement of the financial claims of each Government against the other arising out of the conduct of the war. Specific agreements necessary to implement these understandings, setting forth the terms in detail, and consistent herewith, are in the course of preparation and will shortly be completed.