800.796/453: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 19—3:12 a.m.]
7168. I have just received the following message from Lord Beaverbrook4 for Mr. Harry Hopkins5: [Page 357]
“Secret and Personal. My Dear Harry: Conversations with Dominion representatives on civil aviation after the war have resulted in general agreement. We have not gone beyond exploratory and informative exchanges, and all decisions have been referred back to Dominion Governments. It is my hope that we may now enter into engagements with the United States Government at Washington and agree upon joint policy for international conference. After we get to know what USA and Great Britain will present, our Dominions will be asked to give approval. Do you think the time is now opportune and the situation favorable for swift agreement on broad fines relating only to international traffic and without going into any details of national operations? We would propose in such a conference to discuss operational agreements and also spheres of activity. I would be accompanied by Leathers,6 and Howe7 would join us to keep the Dominions in line with our decisions. The conference could be written down in public, if desired, to a conversational basis. Max.”