by military action shall either be completely
 
 dismantled or removed from the area or complete-
 
 ly destroyed, all equipment shall be removed
 
 from the mines and the mines shall be thoroughly
 
 wrecked."
 
 
 I am unalterably opposed to such a program for
the reasons given in my memorandum dated September 5
which is already before the President. I do not think
that the reasons there stated need again be elaborated.
In substance, my point is that these resources consti-
tute a natural and necessary asset for the productivity
of Europe. In a period when the world is suffering
from destruction and from want of production, the concept
of the total obliteration of these values is to my mind
wholly wrong. My insistence is that these assets be
conserved and made available for the benefit of the
whole of Europe, including particularly Great Britain.
The internationalization of the Ruhr or the trusteeship
of its products--I am not prepared at the moment to
discuss details of method--constitutes a treatment of
the problem in accord with the needs and interests
of the world. To argue that we are incapable of sus-
tained effort to control such wealth within proper
channels is to destroy any hope for the future of the