Office of the Historian

841.24/2239: Telegram

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

Washington, June 16, 1944—midnight.

4783. Please wire fullest information available and recent developments on the contracts referred to in your 4426 and 4427, June 2.62

Please point out to appropriate Foreign Office officials that such long-term contracts on a strictly bilateral basis, extending perhaps [Page 48] well into the post-hostilities period, would have to be viewed by this Government in the light of Article VIII of the United States–United Kingdom trade agreement63 and might be in conflict with the provisions with regard to state trading as contemplated in the United States–British exploratory commercial-policy talks of last autumn and the resulting joint statement. Please wire also result of your interview.

Ottawa is being requested64 to talk with External Affairs along similar lines. Canberra, Wellington and Pretoria are being informed by telegraph.65

Hull
  1. Neither printed; they contained reports regarding British negotiations for the conclusion of long-term contracts with overseas countries for meat and dairy products (841.24/2237, 2239).↩
  2. Signed November 17, 1938: for text, see Department of State Executive Agreement Series No. 164, or 54 Stat. (pt. 2) 1897.↩
  3. Telegram 44, June 16, not printed.↩
  4. Telegrams 74, 217, and 80, respectively, not printed.↩