Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1944, General: Economic and Social Matters, Volume II

800.85/887: Telegram

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

London, June 14, 1944—9 p.m.
[Received June 14—5:25 p.m.]

4768. The Foreign Office has indicated that they have instructed Halifax¹⁴ to invite the United States Government to participate in a discussion to be held shortly in London with a number of the Allied maritime countries on the “Memorandum of Principles” agreed to in Washington on June 2.

In an informal conversation Ronald¹⁵ of the Foreign Office said that the discussions will result in a formal inter-governmental agreement. He explained that the Foreign Office and the Ministry of War Transport are jointly concerned in shipping but the Foreign Office has complete responsibility for policy and will actively participate in the discussions through its own representatives.

As, however, it does not have technical experts in shipping, it calls on the services of the MWT to assist it in the negotiations.

The “Memorandum of Principles” and its supplement appear to me to involve important questions of commercial and political policy which go beyond operational matters. Therefore I think that the Embassy should be represented in the discussions. Radius,¹⁶ who is here with me, has worked on these questions in Washington and if it is agreeable to you, I would like to have him represent the Embassy on the American group.

Winant

14. Viscount Halifax, British Ambassador in the United States.
15. Nigel Bruce Ronald, British Assistant Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
16. Walter A. Radius, divisional assistant, Aviation Division, Office of Transportation and Communications, Department of State. Mr. Radius was in London from May 24 to August 16, 1944, for discussions with British officials regarding the establishment of a European Inland Transport Organization; for documentation on these discussions, see pp. 743 ff.