893.51/7400
The First Secretary of the British Embassy (Hayter) to the Chief of the Division of Far Eastern Affairs (Hamilton)
Dear Mr. Hamilton: It may be useful to you to have the text of the announcement made in London yesterday in regard to the British loan to China.
After a preamble declaring our desire for the closest cooperation with China, the announcement continues:
“His Majesty’s Government are willing to make available to China under a Lend-Lease arrangement all the munitions and military equipment which it is possible for them to supply.
In addition His Majesty’s Government are informing the Chinese Government of their willingness to lend to China for war purposes an amount up to £50 millions at such time and upon such terms as may be agreed between the two governments.”
The United States Treasury have already been informed of the text of this announcement.76
Yours sincerely,
- In consultation with the Chief of the Division of Monetary Research, Treasury Department (White), Mr. Hamilton in a letter of February 4 stated to Mr. Hayter that “It is assumed that the Embassy is informed through its contacts at the Treasury Department of recent steps taken by this Government in the matter of extending financial aid to China.”↩