Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 62 Part 3.djvu/1373

This page needs to be proofread.

3994 INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS OTHER THAN TREATIES [62 STAT. The Department of State to the Belgian Embassy MEMORANDUM In identic notes to the Government of Belgium dated June 19, 1946,[ 1] the Governments of the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada set forth the respective share of each Government in the combined claim for the civilian supplies furnished by the Allied armies for the population of Belgium, and indicated that each Government would communicate further with your Government concerning the method of settlement for its share. Discussions have since been held between representatives of your Government and of the United States Government with regard to the final settlement of war accounts, and consideration has been given to the method of settlement for the United States share of the combined claim for civilian supplies furnished the Government of Belgium and the Government of Luxembourg. As a result of these discussions, the United States Government has decided that the most satisfactory method of accomplishing settlement for its shares of the combined claims against the Government of Belgium and the Government of Luxembourg for civilian supplies would be to regard them as a part of the United States contribution to the common war effort and subject to the concurrence of the Government of Luxembourg to include these shares in the over-all settlement of war accounts between the United States and Belgian Governments. Since the Government of the United States is committed by written agreements to participate on a combined basis with the United King- dom and Canadian Governments in the collection of the total bill for these supplies and in the determination of the relative shares of each in the proceeds, it is necessary for this Government to stipulate that this method of settlement for the United States shares of the combined bills is conditional upon the fulfillment of the following conditions: a) That the Belgian Government recognize that the settlement to be made with the United States Government in no way impairs the validity of the obligation of the Belgian Government to the United Kingdom and Canadian Governments for their shares of the combined bills. b) That the Belgian Government establish a reserve of 10 percent of the combined bills being presented to the Government of Bel- gium and to the Government of Luxembourg. This reserve is to be established forthwith for bills heretofore submitted and at the time of submission for bills hereafter submitted. It is to be deducted from the United States share, and is to be held in the name of the Belgian Government in the Banque Nationale de Belgique in funds convertible into sterling or Canadian dollars, or both, at rates to be agreed upon by the Government of Belgium with the United Kingdom and Canadian Governments. The reserve will be payable to the United Kingdom and Canadian 'Not printed.