Memorandum from Admiral William Leahy and the Joint Chiefs of Staff to President Harry S. Truman

THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF WASHINGTON 25, D. C. 21 July 1945 FOP SECRET MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT: In 1942 the munitions resources of the United States and the United Kingdom were insufficient to meet the re- quirements of the United Nations forces. Therefore, Pres- ident Roosevelt and the Prime Minister agreed to pool munitions resources and to create Munitions. Assignments TRUNAN Boards in London and Washington to assign finished war material to the several United Nations in accordance ARCHIVES AND "INATIONAL JUNE RECORDS with strategic needs. SERVICE" Cos From the military point of view, the present com- bined munitions assignment procedures are no longer neces- sary or desirable. Combined munitions resources are now generally more than sufficient to insure the success of combined strategy. The British, who are converting many of their own munitions facilities to civilian production, are in a position, through their membership on the Munitions Assignments Board, Washington, to object to the assignment of U.S. munitions to other nations - a matter of primary United States concern. In the absence of the Munitions Assignments Board decisions on transfers or retransfers of munitions and on the assignment of captured equipment could be made by the Joint Chiefs of Staff or appropriate British agencies. Either nation would still retain the right of appeal to higher authority. It is recommended that you seek the agreement of the Prime Minister to abolish the Munitions Assignments Board, Washington. A suggested form of a memorandum for the Prime Minister is attached. Consultation with the Prime Minister is believed appropriate in view of the agreement between him and President Roosevelt. It is further recom- mended, however, that if the Prime Minister will not concur you should nevertheless issue an appropriate Executive Order abolishing the Munitions Assignments Board, Wash- FOR ington, and transferring its functions to the Joint Chiefs of Staff. BUY UNITED STATES WAR DECLASSIFIED BONDS AND STAMPS JCS Memo, Jan. 17, 1973 TDP SEBRET By NIT-HC NARS, Date 6.29.76