Chairman, American Relief for Italy,
 
 
 
ROME, Italy.
 
 
 
Dear Mr. Taylor,
 
     
 
 
It was a pleasure to meet with you on Thursday and to discuss together   
the progress of your mission in Italy and the activities of your organization,   
American Relief for Italy.  You were kind enough to furnish us with lists of   
the supplies which you have already imported and which you have on the way.    
For your information, I am enclosing a list of the supplies which have been   
received and which are expected by this mission in the next two months.  Under   
out present plans we hope eventually to be able to furnish rougly 180,000 tons   
of supplies, largely food and medicines, in order that there may be no possible   
duplication of activity and to avoid possible neglect of problems through the   
mistaken belief that they are being met elsewhere.  
 
     
 
 
I am accordingly asking the various Division Heads of this mission to keep   
in touch with Mr. Barr of your office so that there may be a fruitful exchange   
of information.  As I explained on Thursday, we are hoping shortly to conclude   
an agreement with the Italian Government which will establish the conditions   
under which this administration's supplies and services are to be furnished to   
Italy.  The resolution which the United States Government proposed at Montreal   
for relief operations in Italy and which was adopted there by the unanimous   
vote of our 44 member governments authorizes us, and this mission has been   
directed, to furnish free to Italy supplies and services costing up to $50,000,000   
in foreign exchange.  The same resolution requires us, as in other countries   
to which we furnish supplies and services, to secure from the Itlalian government   
the Itlaian currency necessary to cover any expenses of the program incurred in   
Italy.  Also, we are bound to see that certain principles are observed in the   
distribution of all supplies furnished by the Administration.  We are, therefore,   
proposing to the government that the distribution take place in accordance   
with plans to be jointly formulated between the government and this administration   
as represented by our local mission.  All administrative responsibility for   
this distribution will, however, be taken by the government.  Aside from our   
activities in nother direction, assistance to displaced United Nations nationals   
and stateless persons, the function of this mission's staff will, as a result,   
be almost entirely confined to planning and observation.