740.00113 EW/9–1644: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 16—11:22 a.m.]
7634. See our 6946, August 26, 6 p.m.,76 and previous. Hall-Patch77 informed us today that ministerial approval had been given for exploratory talks on reparations to take place on an “official” level, as distinct from ministerial level.
In giving us this information Hall-Patch explained that in the British view reparations could not be considered singly but that it was the British desire in these talks to cover the whole field of economic security along with reparations.
If we asked to hold these talks in Moscow, Hall-Patch continued, the British were prepared to support us, even though the sending of a British delegation from here would handicap the interested ministries. He added that if it should be decided to hold these exploratory talks in Moscow, the British would still want to see these talks take place under the aegis of the EAC. This, he said, might be done through the appointment of a sub-committee of the EAC.
Hall-Patch expressed a hope that these talks could be initiated as soon as possible.
We were also told by Hall-Patch that plans were now being prepared by the British for setting up machinery for dealing with the restitution of identifiable objects, the feeling being that this could and should be done without waiting for the exploratory talks on reparations to begin.