841.248/469¼: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom ( Kennedy ) to the Secretary of State
[Received June 6—8:30 a.m.]
1522. Personal for the President and the Secretary. Following letter dated June 5 received from Beaverbrook:16
“I shall be glad if you will transmit the following message to the President of the United States.
Beaverbrook has received message through Lothian and Halifax17 [Page 11] that you have offered to permit us to buy civil aircraft for short range night bombing of the following types: Lockheeds 12 and 14, Beechcraft, Cessna, Spartan, and others.
Beaverbrook is most grateful to the President for this suggestion. He has already applied for three Lockheeds and he hopes to take more for troop carrying. But the other types are not suitable for us because we are short of equipment, and have no material for armoring and arming, apart from supplies already needed for aircraft in storage here. What we need are operational types with equipment and armament and ammunition. And anything done for us would be a little bit of heaven. Signed Beaverbrook.”