841.24/698: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 22—9:10 p.m.]
3821. Personal for Mr. Hopkins. I would greatly appreciate a reply to my 3722 of August 19 directed to Oscar Cox.
The day before yesterday the Chancellor of the Exchequer asked me if I would have an informal talk with him at the Treasury. He there explained to me that I had asked for a conference on the use of lend-lease materials in the British export trade and that several ministers of the Government had sat in on that conference, that after considerable preliminary investigation and discussion he more than 2 weeks ago had submitted a memorandum32 which I had agreed to forward to the United States for consideration and comment, that simultaneously with my action here a letter covering the same subject was submitted by General Burns in Washington.
The Chancellor suggested that he would be glad to have the discussion undertaken in Washington or in London. He said he would be glad to withdraw the memorandum of his Government which he submitted to me and which I communicated to Secretary Morgenthau and read to you. He then said that after withdrawing his memorandum he would be willing to negotiate on General Burns’ letter. He did not feel that to negotiate in London on his memorandum while a counter-negotiation was going on in Washington was particularly helpful.
I asked that he continue to stand on the memorandum as presented to me until you personally could reply from Washington.
[Page 27]The increasing number of people who negotiate with the British Government often without definite assignment to the Embassy and efforts to reach agreements on both sides of the water at the same time seriously interfere with the work of the Embassy. The more times I uselessly contact government agencies here the less chance I have of making effective contact when action is necessary. I want very much to have our relations with the British both friendly and orderly so that we can build confidence that permits continuing trust and cooperation. Please help me.