800.796/5–1844
The Counselor of the British Embassy (Wright) to the Assistant Secretary of State (Berle)
Washington, 18 May,
1944.
Dear Mr. Berle: I enclose herewith a copy of a
message just received from Lord Beaverbrook, in reply to your telegram of
May 9th.14
A copy of the despatch which appeared in the London Times on May 16th [15th], referred to in
the third paragraph of Lord Beaverbrook’s telegram, is also enclosed.15
Yours sincerely,
[Page 477]
[Enclosure]
Telegram Received From the Foreign Office, London,
dated May 16, 1944
Following for Mr. Berle from Lord Beaverbrook.
Many thanks for your telegram of May 9th. I am glad to hear that your
talks are going ahead well, and I am certain that you will bring them to
a valuable conclusion.
- 2.
- The subject of telecommunications so far as it is concerned with
civil aviation comes under the Civil Air Transport Committee of
which I am Chairman. The arrangements are directed by Sir Stafford
Cripps, and his authority is acknowledged by me.
- 3.
- I have seen a despatch in the Times
newspaper today on the subject of reactions in Washington to my
speech in the debate in the House of Lords last week. Text of the
despatch follows immediately. Reactions seem to be founded on an
entirely incorrect and misleading report. I have been all over both
speeches in Hansard and can make absolute denials. The first speech
was word perfect. The second was chiefly in answer to enquiries and
interpolations on domestic issues and fortunately for me there was
not a word wrong.
- 4.
- Thus I hasten to make a correction on the four points
raised.
- 5.
- The Times reported, firstly, that I had
asserted “that the United States is committed to grant the four
freedoms of the air to the airlines of any other country”. On the
contrary I stated: “one of the proposals for the international
conference is of course innocent passage. There are four freedoms,
and innocent passage is one of the four freedoms. But I do not want
to go into the four freedoms today. If I digress any further we may
be here all night. I want to answer the question addressed to me. I
say cabotage has nothing to do with innocent passage, cabotage has
nothing to do with freedom of the air.” I said further: “Flying over
territory of another nation will necessarily involve the authority
of such nation for such a flight.”
- “The right of innocent passage depends upon the decisions of an
international conference.”
- 6.
-
On cabotage I stated: “Another question is
whether cabotage extends to the Dominions. No, because the Dominions
are selfgoverning. Cabotage in India is also the affair of
India.”
- 7.
- We know nothing here of any exhibition of British model transport
aircraft in South America or soliciting of orders. Senator Brewster
is quoted by the Times as having mentioned
this subject.
- 8.
- On British transport aircraft I stated “I will not be optimistic
about the preparation of civil aircraft during the war. I see no
hope of civil aircraft until the crisis of our strategy in this war
has been brought to a conclusion.”
- 9.
- I am sure that I will have no difficulty in refuting any
misleading reports which are spread as a result of garbled accounts
of my speech. I am sending Hansard by bag.
- 10.
- Let me know if I can do anything or make any declaration for the
purpose of refuting mis-statements.
With good wishes and renewed expressions of collaboration.
