103.9164: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant)
6807. SD 3969. To Reed for Brown from Land by Morse. Reference Embassy’s 6666, 673466 and 6782.
First. There has been some delay in receipt of your cables. There is no objection to holding informal meeting with the allies for discussion of Planning Committee Agenda. However this should not be considered a meeting of the Planning Committee itself and no commitments of any kind should be made. We agree that Brown attend this meeting for the United States.
Second. In principle your proposals for subcommittees as stated in Embassy’s 6782 are acceptable, however we feel that United Kingdom–United States agreement should be reached on all major points in advance of discussions with signatory governments.
Third. Within next few days we expect to nominate WSA representative on Planning Committee in London and contemplate sending him to London by first week in September. He will be accompanied by experts on freight rates and ship warrants.
Fourth. Weston as chairman of Planning Committee London is acceptable on assumption that Morse will be chairman in Washington.
Fifth. We reply to the numbered paragraphs of Embassy’s 6666 not answered in the above as follows:
Your paragraphs 2 and 3 we agree.
[Page 686]Your paragraph 4 please refer to State Department cable No. 6502.67 We would emphasize that postponement should be limited.
Your paragraph 5 will advise.
Your paragraph 6 as well as Embassy’s 6734 our views will follow but it must be understood that matters of allocation are not to be discussed by Planning Committee in London but rather are to be discussed by Planning Committee in Washington and we believe that the allocation machinery should be centralized in Washington.
Your paragraph 7 (a) (b) (c) answered above. We wish to give further consideration to point noted in your 7 (d).
Sixth. Full text of agreement should only be made public with consent of all contracting governments and should be available to contracting governments for simultaneous publication. We are not yet ready to agree that document be made public and feel that this should not be done until Sweden has been given an opportunity to subscribe to the principles.
Seventh. The point noted above that matters of allocation are to be discussed by the Planning Committee sitting in Washington is most important and was agreed to by Weston. Efforts of the Ministry to bring these questions before the Planning Committee in London should be resisted. We are willing to exchange views with the Ministry by cable through your office prior to their sending representatives to Washington but we are not agreeable to the presentation of our views or the presentation of the Ministry’s views to the other contracting governments in advance of the meeting of the Planning Committee called for the purpose of discussing these matters in Washington. Advise when we can expect British representatives here for preliminary discussions. [Land.]