841.796/10–2045: Telegram
The Chargé in the United Kingdom ( Gallman ) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 20—1:25 p.m.]
11008. Copy of letter of October 6 from Hildred to Satterthwaite is en route by despatch10 but following is its substance in belief that despatch has not yet reached Department.
Begin substance. Great Britain has just emerged from desperate conflict to which all its national resources have been devoted for 6 years. It is seeking to restore its national organizations, including civil aviation organization, to peace-time footing but this takes time. Transition from military to civil control is incomplete and Air Navigation (Restriction in Time of War) Order is still in force. RAF (Royal Air Force) has not yet been able to release airdromes needed for civil flying.
In circumstances Britain cannot yet permit civil air services to be operated here on full commercial basis. British Government has reluctantly advised Swedes, Swiss and other Europeans that only “courier” services could at present be authorized, namely services established primarily for national purposes and limited to frequencies [Page 225] necessary for such purposes but allowed to utilize vacant space after priority requirements have been met for commercial traffic. This is also position of BOAC’s (British Overseas Airways Corporation) operations and similar to ATC (Air Transport Command) operations.
British Government will be ready to issue permits for civil services on basis of limited frequencies to De specified. It would appreciate information as to what frequencies we consider necessary for governmental purposes.
Such an interim arrangement would be superseded as soon as conditions permitted by normal peace-time arrangements which would provide for operation of ordinary commercial services in accordance with terms of inter-governmental agreement which it is hoped would be settled in the meantime, replacing pre-war exchange of notes concerning limited reciprocal facilities for Pan American and Imperial Airways.11
Remainder of letter concerns airports.
Following substance of further letter of October 18 from Hildred to Satterthwaite.
Begin substance, Hildred had advised Ambassador and Satterthwaite orally that American companies were welcome to start provisional operations in order to try out their equipment and British Government would not wish to hold them up pending conclusion of satisfactory bilateral agreement. He had not been able in talking to US operators to specify any particular frequency. He believed that both operators would require some weeks before they would be able to operate more than one or two services weekly. He refers to Satterthwaite’s question as to whether Pan American could enter UK during next few weeks at rate in excess of twice weekly frequency specified in pre-war agreement. Wartime agreements,12 to which Satterthwaite had referred, were held by Hildred to be purely wartime agreements and in no way appropriate now that war is over.
Hildred refers to his letter of October 6 to which he had received no reply, particularly to his statement that the British Government would be “quite ready to issue permits for your civil services on the basis of limited frequencies to be specified.” He asks for our views on provisional frequencies and expresses confidence no difficulty will be encountered. He states that he obviously cannot say “come as often as you like” and expresses belief that wartime permits did not mention entry into the UK. He expresses preference for dealing on basis of frequencies our Government requests rather than dealing piecemeal with operators.
- An undated copy of this letter from Sir William Hildred, Director General of Civil Aviation, British Ministry of Aviation, to Livingston Satterthwaite, Civil Air Attaché in the United Kingdom, was enclosed with despatch 26123, October 17, 1945, from London.↩
- British notes dated March 4 and March 30, 1937, and reply by Secretary of State, April 20, 1937, none printed. For prior documentation pertaining to the exchange of notes, see Foreign Relations, 1936, vol. i, pp. 720 ff.↩
- On August 23, 1944, the British Foreign Office transmitted to the American Embassy in London a note along with permits to Pan American and American Export Airlines authorizing both companies to operate, in connection with the war effort, flights into the United Kingdom. The number of flights was not specified, but the United Kingdom was to be informed in advance concerning frequency. (811.79640/9–744) The United States signified its acceptance of this arrangement on September 20, 1944 (811.79640/9–1944). As a result, Pan American was operating, in addition to its two weekly flights under the 1937 agreement, three additional flights, while American, with no prewar permit, was operating three flights under the 1944 arrangement.↩