December 24, 1952
MEMORANDUM OF TELEPHONE CONVERSATION
Participants: Mr. Tannewald Mr. Acheson
I telephoned Mr. Tannewald and reported the substance of my conversation with Mr. Lawton and Mr. Foster.
I then said that I wanted to speak about another matter which was the Afghanistan request for wheat. I said I had been over David Bruce's letter of December 17. I thought it was a good letter and I hoped that Mr. Harriman would see his way clear to going ahead with the proposal. The Communist de marche on oil in the north had been the most serious in recent years. It had brought a stop to all activity in the north. I felt strongly that now they had asked us for the wheat, we should get along with it. Mr. Tannewald said that Mr. Harriman had wanted Mr. Bruce's and Mr. Acheson's personal judgment on the matter and had been particularly concerned whether the foreign aid law covered this request. Mr. Tannewald assured me that Mr. Harriman would take the matter up with the Pentagon and try to get the money.
DA
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