800.796/526
The British Ambassador (Halifax) to the
Secretary of State
Ref. 56/28/44
Washington, February 1,
1944.
Dear Mr. Hull: When we discussed on January 18
[19?] the question of civil aviation, you said it
would be helpful to you to have some indication of the views of His
Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom. I enclose a copy of an extract
from a speech by Lord Beaverbrook in the House of Lords on January
19th,20 which gives an outline of our
views on certain important points. I should
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be glad to know whether Lord Beaverbrook’s remarks
give us, in your view, an adequate basis on which to start discussions. I
was glad to learn from the Department of State’s aide-mémoire of January 26th that the United States Government are
now ready to exchange views on this subject, and I hope that Lord
Beaverbrook’s statement provides the material which the Department of State
desires.
As you will see, Lord Beaverbrook said among other things, “As for the bases
under our control, let me say at once that the Government have no desire to
exclude aircraft of other nations. We demand no prescriptive right to the
use of airfields for ourselves. Rather do we mean to use them for the
purpose of steadily developing civil aviation throughout the world.” This
statement, of which I was unfortunately not informed in advance by London,
has not been given any prominence in the press here, and I have little doubt
you will agree that it would be useful that it should be widely known. I do
not know whether you would think it worthwhile to draw special attention to
it when next you are seeing the press, or possibly whether the President
would consent to do so at his next press conference. I should much welcome
your thought and advice on this.
[Enclosure]
Extract From Speech by Lord Beaverbrook in the
House of Lords, January 19, 1944
We are ready at any moment to enter into an international conference. I
cannot tell you when it will take place. But in our view when the time
comes our first concern will be to gain general acceptance of certain
broad principles whereby civil aviation can be made into a benign
influence for welding the nations of the world together into a closer
co-operation. These principles must assure to all countries a free and
fair share in this new means of transportation. No nation, great or
small, except of course the guilty aggressor nations, must be debarred
from taking a full and equitable part in the upsurging development of
civil aviation that will follow the end of the war. It will be our aim
to make civil aviation a guarantee of international solidarity, a
mainstay of the world’s peace. Of course, there are vital issues on
which it will be necessary for the great Powers to reach preliminary
agreement. We are ready for such discussions at any time. At present we
are waiting on the Americans to complete their surveys.
In particular the question of bases has been widely canvassed. We have
many bases at our disposal. They are scattered all over the
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Empire, and in other lands too
the needs of war have caused us to construct airfields suitable for
peace as well as for war. I do not of course deal today with the bases
in the Dominions. These are necessarily separately dealt with but they
must and will be a subject for discussion between Great Britain and the
Dominions. But as for the bases under our control, let me say at once
that the Government have no desire to exclude aircraft of other nations.
We demand no prescriptive right to the use of airfields for ourselves.
Rather do we mean to use them for the purpose of steadily developing
civil aviation throughout the world. Here it must be said that the bases
are few in number at which any great volume of traffic can be collected.
Just the same, it will be necessary to have international agreement on
traffic regulations and arrangements. This is an essential condition of
future developments. For my part I find myself on this subject in
agreement with Mr. William Burden,21 of the Department
of Commerce in Washington. Mr. Burden, speaking in Washington on the 5th
January, said: “Complete freedom of the air in the present state of the
world might result in commercial anarchy.”
I share Mr. Burden’s view. For our part we are prepared and ready at any
time to enter into negotiations with a view to disposing of all traffic
problems and arrangements that will arise.
Now the President has recently made certain proposals for the future of
international civil aviation. He has declared for the right of innocent
passage for all nations throughout the world, and for the right to land
anywhere for refuelling and other non-traffic purposes.22
And I am now authorized by the Prime Minister to say that we join with
the President to the fullest extent in subscribing to those principles.
I repeat the principles: the right of innocent passage for all nations
throughout the world, and the right to land anywhere for refuelling and
other non-traffic purposes.
I am asked by some noble Lords to state what is the future policy of the
Government, and I will state it here. It is our intention that the
Government shall take a full measure of responsibility for the
development of civil aviation when the war comes to an end. That will be
our right and our duty, and to the performance of the task we shall
bring the vast knowledge of the air and of the aeroplane which Great
Britain has acquired.
