740.00113 European War 1939/613: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Chargé in the United Kingdom (Matthews)
860. Your 74, January 3.
1. The Department had not understood from your previous telegrams that it was intended to make public the interpretative note as an agreed interpretation of the parties to the declaration. We had understood that it would be used merely for guidance in handling publicity on the declaration. The publication of the note in this form and the changes indicated in your reference telegram, particularly the change described in paragraph (f), seemed to the Department to have political implications inconsistent with our policy. It was not possible for the matter to be brought to my attention until late in the afternoon of January 4, at which time it seemed unlikely that any [Page 448] change could be made. It was accordingly decided that only the text of the declaration should be released here and that no publication should be made by this Government of the note.
Please advise the appropriate official of the Foreign Office in the sense of the foregoing, explaining that this Government naturally does not consider itself bound by the interpretative note. While we assume the language referred to was the result merely of inadvertence, we wish to be sure that there be no misunderstanding as to this Government’s position.