740.00119 Council/9–1146: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Secretary of State, at Paris
urgent
4964. Secdel 943. For the Secretary from Clayton. At regular weekly meeting yesterday with Secretaries of War and Navy Forrestal raised question of return submarine cables to Italy by British. (Delsec 941)66 I read to Patterson and Forrestal Secdels 85467 and 893.68 Both Patterson and Forrestal expressed the view that US should not agree to Brit condition that Gibralter continue to be a relay point. They stated that in their view there is no security consideration which justifies this and that the Brit must be actuated by commercial considerations. They expressed the view, in which I concur, that you should tell Bevin frankly that we cannot agree to this; that objections would undoubtedly be made from other countries and that it is unlikely that the Brit could succeed in this endeavor; and that if they did succeed there would be a terrific uproar in US from telegraph and cable companies. Patterson and Forrestal expressed full agreement with contents of our Secdel 893.