711.41/377a: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Chargé in the United Kingdom ( Johnson )
50. In the course of a speech in the Senate yesterday Senator Borah90 made the following statement:
“But we are being placed in an attitude toward the other nations of the world which seems to me to need clarification. We are being charged throughout the world with having formed an alliance or alliances. The Secretary for Foreign Affairs for Great Britain,91 speaking in the House of Commons a short time ago, and discussing the relationship of Great Britain to the United States, stated, in substance, that we—that is, Great Britain—have no actual treaty with the United States, but we have an understanding or relationship, and daily we are in consultation with reference to our foreign policy; and when asked what was that relationship, he stated that he could not reveal it. I do not quote his exact language, but I quote it in substance sufficiently to be entirely correct as to its import. Mr. President, I regard that statement as most unfortunate. It gave the world to understand that the United States and Great Britain had a working alliance or working relationship with reference to the eastern question particularly, and that it was of such nature that it must be kept a secret.”
We are unable to identify any such statement by Eden and suggest that you might discuss the matter in the Foreign Office and say how helpful it would be if Mr. Eden would give me, for discreet use, any clarifying comment.