550.AD1/1: Telegram
The Chargé in the United Kingdom (Matthews) to the Secretary of State
[Received March 10—3:35 p.m.]
1713. I called upon Mr. Eden this afternoon as instructed in the Department’s telegram No. 1465 March 8, 9 p.m., (which I only received this morning) and left with him a letter setting forth our Government’s desire and enclosing the text of the proposed invitation. After reading both, Mr. Eden said that of course the British Government was heartily in accord with the purpose of the proposed conference. His first reaction, he added, however, was that it might be difficult for all those interested to be sufficiently prepared by the date suggested to consider the vitally important but complicated problems involved with the best chances of success. Perhaps, he said, agreement might more easily be reached if some preliminary discussion by a smaller group were held. He reiterated, however, that the British Government welcomed our initiative and emphasized that the above observation was merely a preliminary one and in no way represented the considered views of the British Government. He promised to take the question up with the Prime Minister3 immediately [Page 822] and to give us an early reply. He expressed doubt, however, whether he will be able to do so prior to his departure tomorrow.4
- Winston S. Churchill.↩
- Mr. Eden left for Washington for a general exchange of views with the United States Government; for correspondence concerning his visit, see vol. iii, pp. 1 ff.↩