740.00112 European War 1939/1188
Memorandum by the Assistant Chief of the Division of European Affairs (Hickerson)
I have read and considered carefully the British reply to our protest of December 8 last against their interference with exports from Germany. A copy of the Embassy’s telegram quoting this note is attached.37 I consider this note a combination of misstatements of international law and propaganda. It would be comparatively easy to draft a reply to this note taking issue with a number of their statements of law, but I do not believe that we would get anywhere; and I recommend that this note be filed without reply. I suggest that instead of replying to this note we press for favorable action in individual cases.
This being a British note, obviously we can take no action in the matter of making it public; if the British wish to make it public, they will of course do so.