855A.24/36: Telegram
The Ambassador to the Belgian Government in Exile (Biddle) to the Secretary of State
[Received June 17—11:33 p.m.]
Belgian Series No. 11. Preliminary meeting between Makins and Price of British Foreign Office and Ministry of Supply, and Biddle, Feis, Schoenfeld13 and Steyne14 was held yesterday to discuss contemplated United States–United Kingdom–Belgian Congo Agreement. It was consensus of opinion that procedure outlined in your 3, June 10, midnight, formed a satisfactory basis for negotiations.
The suggestion was advanced, however, that since considerable delay may be encountered in obtaining the final schedules of the Congo production and requirements, there would be advantages in trying to work out in advance the general framework of the agreement.
The British are obligated under article 6 of the current Anglo-Belgian agreement to enter into negotiations for a new agreement by the end of June. In the circumstances they propose next week to address a letter to the Belgians suggesting an early three-cornered meeting. At that meeting we propose to explore the possibility of drafting the general sections of the agreement into which the schedules could later be fitted.