647.116/328
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Chief of the Division of European Affairs (Moffat)
I told Mr. Officer that he would be interested in reading two documents; the first was a photostat of the President’s instruction to the Secretary of the Treasury ordering the de-black-listing of Australian products as of February 1; the second was the text of our note to be [Page 132] presented today, through Mr. Wilson, to Prime Minister Lyons informing him of this fact. Mr. Officer expressed the greatest pleasure, to which I replied that, having followed the whole “mess” from the beginning, I took a particular pleasure in seeing it brought to a satisfactory end.
Mr. Officer then raised the question of starting confidential exploratory talks. I said that although we were not making the note public for two days in order to allow a simultaneous release in Australia, nevertheless the orders had been given, and any time Sir Ronald or he chose to come down on the other matter they would be welcomed. Mr. Officer said that while this was very gratifying, unfortunately he had not yet received his instructions and there was nothing to come down about. He was going to send a telegram to Sydney right away to inquire when his instructions would be received; he would add a suggestion that if they were not forthcoming without delay they be telegraphed him regardless of expense. Meanwhile he was going to New York today and would take the long week-end off, and hoped to be in a position to call at the Department early next week.