811.79640/96
The British Ambassador ( Lindsay ) to the Secretary of State 5
Sir: Under instructions from His Majesty’s Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs I have the honour to inform you that a Mission composed of Colonel Sir Donald Banks, Director-General of the General Post Office, Lieutenant-Colonel Shelmerdine, the Director-General of Civil Aviation, and Mr. Wood-Humphrey, the Managing Director of Imperial Airways, accompanied by three officials of the Air Ministry, General Post Office and Dominions Office, will leave England on November 13th for Canada, where they will discuss with His Majesty’s Government in Canada the possible establishment of a trans-Atlantic air service. They will be joined in Ottawa by Mr. Lodge, one of the Commissioners of the Government of Newfoundland.
2. As you are aware the question of the establishment of such a service has already been discussed tentatively between Imperial Airways and Pan American Airways and His Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom now desire to consult with the United States Government in the matter. Consequently if your Government is prepared to enter into discussions with a view to participation in such a service, which His Majesty’s Government would welcome as a means of improving communications between the United States of America and Great Britain, it is suggested that the above-mentioned Mission should proceed to Washington to confer with the competent United States authorities after the conclusion of their discussions at Ottawa. I understand that the Mission could arrive in this city at about the end of this month.
I shall be grateful if you will intimate to me the wishes of the United States Government in this matter.
I have [etc.]
- Similar notes were received from the Irish Minister, November 13, 1935, and the Canadian Chargé, November 18, 1935.↩