800.6363/1526b: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant)
1836. From the President. As you know, the State Department’s press release on the oil conversations which was issued on March 7 (State Department’s telegram number 1725, March 7) named the group which will conduct the conversations at the high level and indicated that the technical exploratory discussions will lead to the high level conversations at an early date. I believe this is in line with Eden’s view as given in your telegram of March 6 conveying the Prime Minister’s message relative to the release.
Please inform the Prime Minister that I consider it most desirable that the British group at the ministerial level be also named promptly. I assume that the British technical experts will leave for the United States at an early date and will be prepared to carry on rapid preparatory discussions with a view to carrying the conversations to the higher level without delay. Accordingly, please tell the Prime Minister that I hope that the ministerial group will arrange to arrive in Washington very shortly, perhaps within a week or ten days, after the technical discussions have begun. [Roosevelt.]