840.50/3608½: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant) to the Secretary of State
[Received March 25—10:18 a.m.]
2388. For the Secretary and Under Secretary. It is unlikely that the British will be ready to resume Article VII talks before May but I think that some pressure might usefully be applied to fix the date at the beginning of May.
On the question of a steering committee for all the international economic discussions, the British appear to be anxious that such a committee should not itself engage in economic negotiations but be confined to organization of conversations and negotiations. They are still inclined to postpone action on the steering committee until the talks take place in May. If you wish to proceed at once, independently of the Article VII talks, to set up the steering committee, I believe that urgent representations will have to be made to the British.
Immediately following this message we are sending two further messages: Embassy’s 2389 and 2390 in the series of confidential Article VII telegrams, analyzing the position here in some detail.
Opie45 left here yesterday and will see Pasvolsky immediately on arrival.
- Redvers Opie, Counselor, British Embassy at Washington.↩