611.4131/691
The British Ambassador ( Lindsay ) to the Secretary of State
My Dear Mr. Secretary: During the discussions which have been proceeding between the State Department and this Embassy regarding the inclusion of Newfoundland and the British Colonial Empire in the forthcoming announcement of intention to negotiate a Trade Agreement with the United Kingdom we were asked whether the United States could count on reciprocal treatment if the announcement included a list of products on which the United States would consider granting concessions to Newfoundland and the British Colonial Empire.
I have pleasure in informing you that I have received a telegram from the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs2 authorising me to assure the United States Government that reciprocal consideration will be given to any United States requests for concessions relating to Newfoundland and the British Colonial Empire and that this includes of course the assurance that Mr. Eden’s declaration in September last at Geneva is valid vis-à-vis the United States.
The full text of Mr. Eden’s declaration at Geneva on September 20th, 1937, is no doubt available in the State Department but I enclose the relevant extract for your convenience.3
Believe me [etc.]
- Anthony Eden.↩
- Extract not printed. In his speech Mr. Eden had asserted that the United Kingdom was ready to enter discussion with any powers which might approach it for abatement of particular preferences in non-self-governing colonial territories where these could be shown to place undue restriction on international trade. For full text of speech, see League of Nations, Official Journal, Special Supp. No. 169, p. 62.↩