800.796/5–2244
The Counselor of the British Embassy (Wright) to the Assistant Secretary of State (Berle)
Ref: 56//44
Washington, May 22,
1944.
Dear Mr. Berle: I transmitted to Lord Beaverbrook
the message which you sent me with your letter of May 18th.
I now enclose a message for you of May 21st from Lord Beaverbrook in
reply.
Yours sincerely,
[Enclosure]
Message From Lord Beaverbrook for the Assistant
Secretary of State (Berle), Dated May 21, 1944
Very many thanks for your message of May 18th, and for the welcome
reassurance you give me.
You will have seen that in my speech in the House of Lords I defined
cabotage as follows:
“Cabotage means the reservation to a nation of all traffic within
its territory. The question at once arises: does reservation
apply to traffic between the United States of America and Hawaii
and the United States of America and Puerto Rico? Yes, it does.
Does it apply to traffic between the United Kingdom and our
Crown Colonies? Yes, it applies to traffic between the United
Kingdom and our Crown Colonies. It is a right which we can
clearly concede to other colonial powers. There is no intention
in any direction so far as I can see to resist it. It is
generally accepted.”
There is thus complete identity of interpretation on this question as on
other issues raised between us when you were here.
With all good wishes.
