890.00/6–1945
The Counselor of the British Embassy (Wright) to the Director of the Office of Near Eastern and African Affairs (Henderson)33
Dear Loy: I enclose copies of two telegrams from the Foreign Office to His Majesty’s Ambassador at Paris34 containing the reply of His Majesty’s Government35 to the suggestion of the French Government that conference of French, British, American, Chinese and Soviet Representatives should be called to consider the current situation in the Middle East.
The Foreign Office have instructed Lord Halifax36 to extend to the United States Government an official and cordial invitation to send representatives to London to take part in the proposed conversations with His Majesty’s Government and the French Government. His Majesty’s Government consider that arrangements for [Page 1147] associating representatives of the Syrian and Lebanese Governments with these conversations will also clearly be required. I discussed this with Mr. Reber37 yesterday afternoon. At his suggestion we have telegraphed to the Foreign Office asking whether they think it would be helpful for the United States Government before replying to His Majesty’s Government to send a message to the French Government suggesting that the United States Government and the French Government should both accept His Majesty’s Government’s invitation, and should add that the United States Government would be prepared to consider any place which might be agreed upon for holding the talks. We are awaiting a reply from the Foreign Office to this suggestion.
I enclose a copy of this letter and of the enclosures for Mr. Reber.
Yours very sincerely,