811.203/419: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant)
2073. Your 1808, March 4, and 2021, March 13. You may advise Mr. Eden that since the British Government has agreed to pay under reverse lend-lease noncombat claims of third parties now pending or hereafter arising out of acts of personnel of the armed forces of the United States in line of duty which the British Government considers not politically objectionable, the United States is willing under the same conditions to make similar arrangements for the settlement of civil claims of like nature arising out of acts of members of the armed forces of Great Britain in the United States in the line of duty.
[Page 138]For your information and not for transmission to the British at this time, Lend-Lease has decided that the reciprocal claims can be paid by it.
This is an agreement in principle only and full instructions will be sent when the Department and other interested agencies have had an opportunity to consider the documents enclosed with your despatch no. 14273, March 6,55 which has only recently been received. This consideration will be completed as quickly as possible. In other words, this is not an agreement to the conditions and limitations in the enclosures to despatch no. 14273.
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