800.796/5–644
The Counselor of the British Embassy (Wright) to the Assistant Secretary of State (Berle)
Ref. 56/187/44
Washington, 6 May,
1944.
Dear Mr. Berle: With reference to my letter of May
2nd,6 I now enclose a copy of a further telegram from Lord
Beaverbrook which has just reached us.
[Page 469]
For convenience of reference I also enclose herewith a copy of that part of
Lord Beaverbrook’s declaration of January 19th,7 to which he
refers in the fourth paragraph of his telegram attached.
Yours sincerely,
[Enclosure]
Message From Lord Beaverbrook for the Assistant
Secretary of State (Berle)
Thank you for your messages. I am gratified at the way Senate Committee
have understood our point of view. We are moving in the direction of a
united front which will enable us to dispose of all issues, not only for
ourselves but for the other nations concerned.
In replying to the impending debate in the House of Lords I propose,
subject to your consent, to refer to your generous statement about the
supply of aircraft in the following terms:
“As to the supply of transport aircraft in the period immediately
following the end of the war, Mr. Berle brought us assurances of
a most generous character. As your Lordships know, a pooling
arrangement in manufacture was made early in the war whereby the
United States agreed to construct long-range heavy air planes
while the United Kingdom was encouraged to build fighters. This
was a most admirable and sensible division of responsibilities
for war purposes but it plainly conferred on the United States
advantages in relation to post war manufacture for civil
aviation markets. You can understand therefore with what
pleasure I heard from Mr. Berle that the United States was
prepared to make transport aircraft available to Britain on a
non-discriminatory basis in the interim period before British
production of these types gets going.”
On the subject of air bases and the issues concerning them, I propose to
speak in terms identical with those of my declaration in the House of
Lords on January 19th published in official report (Hansard) column
462.
Do you approve?
I take this opportunity of expressing the confidence which I share with
you that we shall reach a reconciliation of view points between our two
Governments on all these difficult aviation questions.
You may be sure in your leadership of this movement for organisation of
civil aviation that we will cooperate. It is our intention to help you
throughout to realization of this purpose.
