883.248/9–444
Memorandum by the Assistant Secretary of State (Berle) to the Chief of the Aviation Division (Morgan)
Mr. Morgan: Your memorandum of September 25 regarding Payne Field. I agree that it was not a propitious time to start negotiating. Instead, I think we should send a courteous note to the British Government saying that we do expect to bring up rights to a number of bases, naming them, with particular emphasis on the Near Eastern bases including Payne Field. This, I think, is a polite indication that we do not feel we want to be quietly excluded from those rights. In handing such note to the British Embassy, you might say orally that we do not, of course, expect to press negotiations until after the conference.
I believe it will be wise to have an exactly similar note to the Egyptian Government, which should be handed them at the same time as our note to the British. My idea is not to start negotiations but to stake out a claim.