File No. 652.119/1196
The Ambassador in Great Britain (Page) to the Secretary of State
[Received July 23, 5 p.m.]
No. 519. War Trade Board [from Sheldon]:
No. 1076. Referring to my 1032, Embassy’s 378, July 17, 5 p.m., and your 901, Department’s 342, July 22, 7 p.m. Under date of July 18, I mailed you copy of Foreign Office letter dated July 17, with reference to this matter.1 In this communication, Foreign Office points out that His Majesty’s Government would have no objection to the meetings, mentioned in paragraph 4 of my 1032, continuing in order to [decide] the best means of obtaining export licenses from Spain nor would they object to the body hitherto known as the Inter-Ally Commercial Bureau being called the Inter-Ally Trade Committee. His Majesty’s Government, however, are not prepared to delegate to this or any other body, the right to decide questions of exports from stocks Spain, nor will they bind themselves to consult such body on these matters. On the other hand His Majesty’s Government are quite willing to agree that these representatives of the Allied Embassies in Madrid should communicate to their respective Ambassadors for further action suggestions for bringing pressure to bear on Spanish Government in order to secure export licenses for commodities purchased in Spain, and in cases where it is considered that the matter concerned the Allies, His Majesty’s Government propose that these suggestions be referred to the A[llied] B[lockade] C[ommittee] in London.
- Not printed.↩