811.7441/42A
The Assistant Secretary of State (Long) to the Presidents Special Assistant (Hopkins)
Dear Harry: I have yours of January 3d, with enclosures of January 2nd from Lord Beaverbrook to you and copy of a memo to Lord Beaverbrook from Layton.1
[Page 412]Referring to the latter paper. I have read it carefully and agree with it all except as to procedure. I am referring to the antepenultimate paragraph.
If the British Government will direct its citizens—in this case the Cables and Wireless—to cooperate with the American interests associated with them in the consortium and with the other American interests of I.T. & T. and RCA, which have already agreed to the cessation of transmission, then the matter will be in such shape that Mr. Welles can present it to the inter-American conference about to be held at Rio. It would be necessary to have the private interests ready to cooperate before the political action is taken and we are prepared to present the matter to the other American Republics at the conference.
We consider it of the utmost importance. While closing of these stations will not—as clearly stated in the memorandum—close all circuits, it will prevent the communication by blacklist firms with their principals and it will hamper and interfere with the communications of the enemy. Having proceeded as far as the present plan proposes and when we have concluded that operation, we will then start on the next step, which will contemplate the closure of other circuits.