Office of the Historian

800.796/9–2944: Telegram

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

London, September 29, 1944—9 p.m.
[Received 11:59 p.m.]

8165. Referring to the Department’s circular of September 11, 1944,90 following reply has been received from the Foreign Office on behalf of the British Government:

“In your letter of September 14 you were good enough to send me an invitation to attend an international conference on civil aviation. [Page 549] This invitation has been considered by the Cabinet and I am authorized to convey to you the following reply:

1.
His Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom welcome the United States proposal to assemble an international conference on civil aviation, to begin in the United States on or about November 1, and will be pleased to arrange to be represented.
2.
His Majesty’s Government have read with interest the statement of objectives enclosed with Mr. Winant’s letter and note that a formal agenda is being prepared.
3.
Pending the receipt of the agenda His Majesty’s Government have no detailed comments to make, but would take the opportunity to reaffirm their adherence to the view that it should be a first objective [in any discussions] of international cooperation to endeavor to establish, as soon as possible, an international authority with effective powers to regulate both the technical and economic aspects of postwar international air transport. His Majesty’s Government will, therefore, advocate, in any discussion of the principles to be followed in setting up a permanent international aeronautical body, the adoption of the general plan discussed between Mr. Berle and Lord Beaverbrook during the talks in London in April last.
4.
As a corollary, any arrangements made to cover the period until the end of hostilities should be on a purely temporary basis pending the conclusion of a long-term international agreement; and such temporary facilities as are granted should be on a reciprocal basis and subject to agreement on (1) the allocation of routes, (2) frequencies, and (3) rates of carriage.”

Winant
  1. Not printed; it transmitted text of invitation to the International Civil Aviation Conference (800.796/9–1144).↩