840.70/11–1744: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant)
9841. For EITO Delegation. Department assumes that Foreign Office has informed you of British reply to Soviet note. This, we understand, was to be accompanied by oral statement hoping for continued Soviet participation under arrangements made for informal discussions which would obviate necessity of Soviets meeting with Polish delegation. We understand British dropped idea of time limitation for full meeting of conference.
Today I handed Soviet Ambassador the U.S. reply to Soviet note. I also expressed hope that Soviets would continue to participate in informal discussions so that important problems of European inland transport might be resolved without involving Polish question.
Department assumes that EITO delegation was given sufficient authority in Department’s telegrams 9693 of November 17 and 9731 of November 18 to participate in informal discussions on basis of November [Page 884] 10 text of draft agreement.96 When agreement on text seems likely and final revisions received, agreement will be submitted to appropriate authorities for approval.
Revised text being studied. We await revised Article XI and your comments on Department’s suggested amendments to your revised section 2 of Article VII. On the latter, Harry Hawkins97 might be helpful.