Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1943, The British Commonwealth, Eastern Europe, the Far East, Volume III

611.4131/2647a: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant)

Washington, August 19, 1943—6 p.m.

5027. Personal for the Ambassador. You will recall that exploratory discussions were undertaken in 1941 with the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa with a view to determining whether it would be desirable and feasible to conclude trade agreements with the three Dominions and a new and more extensive trade agreement with the United Kingdom. Extensive studies were undertaken by our trade-agreements organization and tentative proposals were submitted to the other countries concerned. The Dominions showed an active interest in bringing the exploratory discussions to a successful conclusion and in pressing the negotiations to completion. From the beginning, however, the discussions have dragged, largely due to an apparent lack of interest or to indecision on the part of the United Kingdom, the latest indication of which is the fact that Stirling⁷² has been recalled to London for several months.

We are seriously concerned about this situation, particularly because the generally favorable present opportunity to negotiate worthwhile trade agreements will be lost unless agreement is speedily reached on the basis for announcement of the negotiations and negotiations are pressed to a conclusion within about the next 6 months. You will appreciate the significance of this timetable.

We have been turning this problem over in our minds but before reaching a decision we should like to have the benefit of your best advice by telegram as to the present situation and attitudes in London and as to the approach you think would be most effective.

In view of the time limitations there will of course be no point in proceeding with this matter unless the British are ready to go forward vigorously and wholeheartedly with these discussions. A halfhearted approach would be tantamount to abandoning them.

In this connection please refer to my telegram of today’s date transmitting to you the text of a British Embassy aide-mémoire and of our reply⁷³ regarding preliminary conversations on an orderly agenda for article VII discussions. Because of the time limitations above referred to, deferment of a decision regarding the proposed trade agreements until these conversations take place would in all probability make it impractical to proceed with the negotiations even if the British should a month or two from now indicate a desire to do so.

Hull

72. John A. Stirling, member of the British Board of Trade Delegation in Washington.
73. Telegram No. 5020, August 19, not printed; for British aide-mémoire, dated August 4, 1943, and U.S. reply, dated August 17, 1943, see vol. i, pp. 1106 and 1107, respectively.