611.4131/309: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Bingham) to the Secretary of State
[Received June 10—3 p.m.]
367.…
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Incidentally after the Foreign Office dinner last evening the Prime Minister took [omission?] to say to me that he hoped we fully understood his fixed purpose to cooperate with the United States as far as possible; that he was under the impression that his attitude had been perhaps misunderstood at least to some extent in the United States and I replied that I felt his attitude on this subject had undergone a development in the last 2 years and that I now accepted without any reservation his assurances of the desire for friendly cooperation between our two Governments. Chamberlain went on to say that it was his firm hope and fixed purpose to work out a trade agreement [Page 40] with the United States and that he intended to give his constant support to that end.
However, from an unofficial source, which I believe is reliable, I understand that it is planned that Casey55 (see my 357, June 8, 1 p.m.56) will explain in Washington the political difficulties facing the Lyons57 government because of the forthcoming Australian election and will point out that the present British Government fully understands and is in sympathy with Lyons’ position because they also are in reality opposed to a Lang victory and in this connection it will be emphasized that Lang stands for extreme economic nationalism.
Thus, there may well be an interim period in which the British and Dominions will attempt to clarify how far the United States is willing to weaken her present stand either in substance or by temporary agreement.