800.51W89 Great Britain/408

The British Embassy to the Department of State

We have received with great satisfaction the communication sent by the President Elect of the United States through you in reply to our proposal of November 10th16 for a discussion on the American [Page 833] debt question. We note that Mr. Roosevelt would like to receive a representative or representatives of His Majesty’s Government at Washington as soon as possible after March 4th. His Majesty’s Government are happy to accept this invitation. The effect of the debt situation upon a wide range of world economic problems is crucial to every government and in the course of the discussion at Washington on the debt we shall be glad to take the opportunity of exchanging views with Mr. Roosevelt on those other matters in which the two governments are so closely interested. It will be recognized that decisions on matters which constitute the subject of the approaching world economic conference and which affect other States cannot be reached before discussions take place at that Conference between all the States represented there.