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of overlapping. He whole-heartedly agreed with this theory.
In the general field he seemed to be quite concerned
by the constant changing of personnel, especially by our Government. He
specifically mentioned the economic side the retirement of Mr. Grady and
the prospective retirement of General William O'Dwyer. He felt that this
was demoralizing. He felt that the Vice President of the Allied Control
Commission in charge of economic affairs should be a very experienced
business executive who, with a staff of businesstrained men on a permanent
basis, would be most effective. In order to gain information I asked him
why this vice president of the economic section should always be an
American to which he replied that the whole scheme of the organization was
one of balance and that the different agencies were set up in a balanced
fashion as between the British and ourselves. It has been my impression
since arriving here that in effecting this so-called balance some of our
appointees have been put in the most difficult and, I would say, dangerous
positions. That applies both to the field in which Colonel Poletti has
been giving such heroic service and the field in which Mr. Grady and
General O'Dwyer have been making such tremendous efforts, I do not see
that the British are occupying posts subject to the same amount of public
criticism. Unless there be some advantage in the handling of the economic
section by oar representative, the natural question arises whether it will
not be advisable to let an outstanding British executive assame the post.
General Wilson said that British personnel was spread out too thin at the
present time and they did not have the same number of people to call upon
as we.
I have just seen a statement prepared by the Food Sub-Commission
of the Allied Control Commission which indicates a substantial reduction
in the tonnages now proposed to import against the requirements for the
period October through December, 1944.
I was considerably disturbed at the statement made by General
Wilson that General. O'Dwyer was soon to retire. I asked General O'Dwyer
to call and he has just left me after an extended interview, the result of
which moved me to send a telegram through the Vatican radio suggesting
that I considered it very important that you should have a frank talk with
him about conditions here before you meet the Prime Minister. That meeting
has been announced in all the papers here although the date and place of
the meeting is not generally known. In my opinion General O'Dwyer has
gained a very realistic opinion of