811.0141 Phoenix Group/96½
The British Embassy to the Department of State
Aide-Mémoire
The memorandum which was handed to His Majesty’s Ambassador on the 30th June on the subject of Canton and Enderbury Islands has been carefully considered by His Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom with a view to cooperating with the United States Government in arriving at a final agreement as to the future administration of the Islands. His Majesty’s Government desire to offer the following comments on the specific questions referred to in the State Department’s memorandum.
- 1.
- Administration. In order to expedite a solution, His Majesty’s Government are preparing and hope shortly to submit to the United States Government for their consideration the draft text of an exchange of notes regulating the method by which the two islands will be administered. The necessity of consulting various Departments of His Majesty’s Government as well as the High Commissioner for the Western Pacific renders it impracticable to designate one official for the purpose of preparing a joint recommendation with a United States official concerning the contents of these notes. Such a procedure, however, may be followed later with advantage for the purpose of settling details once the main lines have been agreed upon.
- 2.
- Air Facilities. Although Pan American Airways are already surveying Canton Islands for the selection of the most suitable site for an air base it had been the understanding of His Majesty’s Government that an eventual British air service would be allowed, on a basis of full equality and on the lines suggested in paragraph 3 of the Embassy’s memorandum of the 23rd May, to use such structural and ground facilities as may be erected by the United States company. Consequently alternative (b) mentioned on page 4 of the State Department’s memorandum is what His Majesty’s Government had contemplated, and they were therefore gratified to receive the assurance that in these circumstances it is the expressed intention of the United States Government that a British air service should be in a position to enjoy equal facilities at the air base upon an agreed payment. But as if a joint régime is set up, the title to Pan American Airways to operate on Canton Island will be derived from the permission of both Governments, it would seem that the existing license and the proposed procedure for the granting of equal facilities would hardly be suitable; His Majesty’s Government therefore suggest that it would be more satisfactory if the license were cancelled and the terms of a new license agreed upon by themselves and the United States Government.
- 3.
- Colonization. His Majesty’s Government note that while engaged in sympathetic study of the project for colonizing Canton Island the United States Government entertain various doubts as to the desirability of its execution. As tending to dispelling these doubts His Majesty’s Government desire to remind the United States Government that they do not demand priority for this project, and they are consequently content to wait until the survey for an air base has shown how much land remains available for planting and settlement.
- 4.
- Joint Communiqué. For the reasons given in paragraph 2 of the Embassy’s memorandum of the 23rd May, His Majesty’s Government are anxious that an agreed announcement should be issued at an early date. The amended text contained in the last paragraph of the State Department’s memorandum is agreeable to His Majesty’s Government subject to the substitution of the words “United Kingdom” for “Great Britain”, and also on the understanding that the communiqué is not to be interpreted as prejudicing any eventual decision regarding the settlement of colonists on Canton Island. On the receipt of an assurance to this effect His Majesty’s Government propose that the communiqué should be released simultaneously in Washington and London at an early date to be agreed upon by the two Governments.
Washington
, August 4, 1938.