711.4127/11–1345

The Department of State to the British Embassy

Memorandum

The Department of State and other agencies of this Government, as well as officials of the United States airlines now serving the United Kingdom, have given very careful study and consideration to the Aide-Mémoire of November 13, 1945, left at the Department by the Civil Air Attaché of the British Embassy, which proposed that an interim agreement (set forth in the Aide-Mémoire) on North Atlantic commercial air services should be drawn up through an exchange of notes.

An agreement between the Government agencies and airlines concerned was not reached with respect to acceptance of the British proposal, which includes certain principles which this Government has consistently opposed and is not now prepared to accept. Furthermore, since it is anticipated that negotiations looking to the conclusion of a bilateral agreement covering all phases of the air transport problem will be held in the very near future, the Department does not believe that an interim agreement is essential for such a brief period.