711.4112a/53
The Ambassador in Great Britain (Bingham) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 21.]
Sir: I have the honor to refer to the Department’s instruction No. 101, October 3, 1933 (File No. 711.4112/5 [711.4112a/52]), relating to the proposed treaty of arbitration between the Government of the United States and the Government of Great Britain, and to state that this question was informally raised with the Foreign Office. I received a perfectly frank reply, very much in the following words. It was pointed out that considerable and grave difficulties lay in the way of the proposed treaty, and that the present moment was so full that the Foreign Office would be more than well satisfied if the question of the negotiation of this treaty were set aside for some considerable period; however, if the present Administration were anxious that this matter should again be actively raised, the British Government would, of course, be prepared to undertake the negotiations in as hopeful a spirit as possible.
[Page 19]I shall take no action in this matter until I receive the Department’s further instructions.
Respectfully yours,
Counselor of Embassy