800.515/1007: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant) to the Secretary of State
[Received April 16—6:20 p.m.]
3119. The following is an urgent personal telegram from the Chancellor of the Exchequer for Secretary Morgenthau:
“1. I received your personal message (Department’s 2835 of April 10) through Mr. Winant.
My colleagues and I have discussed arrangements for the publication of a statement of principles on the International Monetary Fund. We would agree to publication in both countries on a date and time to be fixed immediately agreement has been reached on the outstanding points now being discussed at the expert level, of the agreed statement of principles, it being understood that the statement would be on the non-unitas basis. Provided that agreement on the outstanding points can be reached in time, publication would be next week as you desire.
2. We should think it necessary that on publication we should make an announcement explaining the status of the document and indicating in general terms the nature of the objectives of the scheme and stating the purpose of publishing it now. We should, of course, wish for an understanding with you as to the form which such a statement should take and would hope that an understanding something on similar lines might be adopted also by you.
3. Our idea of such a statement would be on the following lines.
‘This statement of principles for an International Monetary Fund is the result of close study of many months at the export [expert] level between our two countries. It in no way commits the governments concerned. It is conceived as part of a general plan for international cooperation, the objectives of which, as a whole, would be the progressive development of international trade, active employment, reasonable stability of prices and the machinery for the orderly adjustment of exchanges.
The purpose of publication in this way and at this stage is to promote informed discussion in all quarters from which valuable guidance can be obtained by the [Page 113] governments in preparation for the time when the policies of the various interested states have to be formulated.’
4. Would you let me know whether you would consider a statement on these lines suitable for your purposes and whether you agree publication on your side should be accompanied by such a statement.
5. In the light of these proposed arrangements, we should propose not to show any document to the technical experts of the European governments over here and to await publication before discussing the statement with them.”