196.6/1458: Telegram
The Chargé in the Soviet Union (Henderson) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 22—12:05 p.m.]
1121. Department’s 414, December 15, 8 p.m., to Moscow. The sense of the Department’s telegram under reference has been conveyed to the British Embassy here which believes and has so informed London that its own instructions as set forth in my 1070, December 9, 5 p.m., preclude it from coordinating with ours its reply to the informal proposal offered by the Soviet authorities along the lines apparently found acceptable by the War Shipping Administration. The British Embassy has telegraphed London that it continues to believe the best course for it to follow is that set forth in my 1070 and it has expressed the hope that the British Foreign Office will approach our Government further in the matter. The British Embassy has suggested that we defer informing the Soviet authorities of the contents of the Department’s 414 until it can receive a response and we have agreed to postpone at least for several days our approach to the Foreign Office.25
- The Department approved the postponement of action in this matter by telegram No. 657, December 26, 1942, and stated that the War Shipping Administration was soon to discuss it with British representatives.↩