811.0141 Phoenix Group/90
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Chief of the Division of European Affairs (Moffat)
| Participants: | British Ambassador, |
| Judge Moore, | |
| Mr. Moffat. |
The British Ambassador called to leave two Notes Verbale88 on the subject of the status of Canton and Enderbury Islands and of [Page 102] trans-Pacific aviation. He said that similar notes were being handed to Mr. Kennedy in London today or tomorrow. One note was couched in usual Foreign Office style; the second note showed more heat than was usual in such a communication. The Ambassador, therefore, felt that it was up to him to explain the way minds were running in London. To review the circumstances he said that late last February, feeling annoyed at a not unreasonable British delay, the United States had secretly prepared an expedition to land on the Islands; that on March 1st Judge Moore had presented him a note clearly reserving all rights with respect to the Islands, but making no mention of an expedition. March 3rd or 4th the President had issued an Executive Order which was not published for two or three days, placing the Islands for administrative purposes under the Secretary of the Interior; that on March 5th the British Embassy was informed of the expedition; that March 7th or 8th the expedition landed despite the presence of a British Administrator and a flying British flag; that on March 10th as if to “consolidate the gains”, Mr. Kennedy had proposed the idea of a joint trust; on March 30th this had been accepted. On April 1st the Department of Interior had issued a license to Pan-American Airways; since that time surveyors had been at work, houses built, the best sites for flying fields laid out, et cetera. The British Government felt that the United States was forgetting the idea of “joint” in the administration; that it was not consulting with London; that it was aiding and abetting Pan-American Airways in “jumping the gun”; in short that it had been a piece of “slick organization” by which the United States interests were to profit. The Ambassador then discussed some of the points in his notes and the assurances which he said would do much to allay this feeling.
Judge Moore replied that he considered Sir Ronald’s statement to overlook the main fact which was that we had both agreed that the Island should be used by the two countries for aviation and communications with equal facilities for both. If there was anything in the license to Pan-American contrary to this as alleged by Sir Ronald this could be corrected. With regard to air facilities on the Island Mr. Moffat pointed out that there seemed some confusion in the British note as the two countries could either: (a) each stake out an airbase, dividing the good ground which was sufficient for both; or (b) that arrangements could be made for the British authorities to use the Pan-American airbase after making financial arrangements with the Company.
The question was to answer these British notes. Mr. Moffat stated that of course it would be very easy to dig up past history and to return the British arraignment in kind, but that he did not see that this would get us anywhere. Sir Ronald agreed. Judge Moore said that [Page 103] he had satisfied himself that any court would recognize we had a better claim to title than the British. Sir Ronald said he had never examined the evidence of either countries but that the question of title did not arise. Judge Moore and Mr. Moffat both indicated that whereas some months back we had ample complaints against the British attitude we had nonetheless kept any undertone of acerbity out of our notes. Sir Ronald said this was true and admitted that the British communications showed “temper”.
As to the communiqué which the British wanted issued at once, the question arose whether publication of as short a draft as that submitted by the British would not stir up the idea that negotiations were running into difficulties more than failing to publish any communiqué at all.
The Ambassador then came back to the question of planting and said that the problem of placing the surplus population from the Gilbert and Ellice Islands was very real. Judge Moore and Mr. Moffat indicated polite skepticism and the Ambassador promised to have the further “voluminous data” on this point submitted to Ambassador Kennedy.
Sir Ronald then called attention to the other Islands in the Pacific to which the two countries had conflicting claims. He said that the British authorities were determined that there should be no more “Canton Islands” and pointed out that they were willing to discuss other Islands in connection with trans-Pacific aviation. Upon being pressed, however, Sir Ronald agreed that this was really a separate subject.
He then went on to say that the big question was that of trans-Pacific aviation and made a strong plea for complete reciprocity including letting the British have landing rights in Hawaii. Judge Moore pointed out once again the great difficulties.
Summarizing the conversation, the British Ambassador renewed his description of the feeling in London that Great Britain had come out on the short end of the stick.
Judge Moore smilingly replied that although such was not the case it must be very rare that the British ever experienced such a feeling. Judge Moore went on to say that the notes struck him as the work of a junior who had worked up a case and somewhat lost his sense of proportion. The Ambassador replied that the assurances of Judge Moore that equal facilities were in fact intended should do much to allay the feeling in London he had described. Meanwhile he would do his best to keep the discussions on a routine basis with the problems of Canton and Enderbury Islands, other Islands, and trans-Pacific aviation separate and distinct. Meanwhile he hoped that we would hurry a reply to the two British communications.
- Infra.↩