611.4131/261: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Bingham) to the Secretary of State
[Received April 2—11:05 a.m.]
187. I have ascertained that the recent tendency of some sections of the British press to intimate that Anglo-American trade negotiations have quite lately taken a more favorable turn is based on current remarks given out by the Foreign Office news section. This in turn I understand is based on the fact that the Foreign Office news section has only recently learned that a new revised list was received by the British Government from the American Government for consideration some time the latter part of February. In spite of the fact that this Embassy has received no copy of this new revised list35 I asked Atherton36 if he was able to obtain very discreetly from his friends in the Board of Trade exactly what progress they were making in consideration of this list and I venture to quote the substance of the remarks made to him:
“We have about finished our study and are waiting until the Cabinet and Government officers concerned return from their Easter holidays before discussing the matter with them. In our opinion, however, some of the items are ‘quite insuperable’ so much so that it is doubtful whether the Cabinet Ministers concerned will find it possible to approach the Dominions on these insuperable items”.
These Board of Trade officials have asked Atherton to lunch with them on Monday next which will provide a fresh opportunity for us to press the American viewpoint.