860F.24/10–1246
The British Foreign Secretary (Bevin) to the Secretary of State
Dear James: You may remember that on the 25th September we discussed the question of the sale of Royal Air Force aircraft and [Page 232] equipment to Czechoslovakia and that I left with you a note81 on the subject which you kindly undertook to study.
The question, as you will recall, is whether certain lease-lend items may be included in an agreement which we were on the point of signing with the Czechoslovak Government for the sale to the Czechs of Royal Air Force aircraft and equipment. A great deal of the aircraft and equipment, notably three squadrons of Spitfires which flew with the Royal Air Force during the war, has been in Czechoslovakia for some time, though naturally without the lease-lend components. If only for this reason it would be difficult and indeed highly embarrassing for us to call off the agreement now nor would it be satisfactory, for various technical reasons, to conclude the agreement leaving out the few lease-lend items.
Indeed, if the agreement were not concluded in its present form, I think that the only result might well be that the Czechs would obtain their aeroplanes from the U.S.S.R. I feel sure that you will agree that this would not be to our advantage. The Czechoslovak Air Force at present looks westward and not east for guidance and advice and thus maintains many important contacts with western countries. It is our policy to preserve this connexion, though we have made sure that security requirements would not be infringed by the sale of this equipment.
When we discussed this question before, you mentioned that rumours had reached you that the Czechs might resell some of the R.A.F. aircraft to the Roumanians. We have asked our Embassy in Prague about this and, after going into the matter carefully and incidentally discussing it with the United States Ambassador there, they report that they have not been able to discover any foundation for these rumours. I really do not think there is any question of that happening in this case.
Our Embassy in Washington have also discussed the problem at some length with the State Department. You may already have heard about this.82 In the light of all this I still think there are definite advantages for all concerned in our concluding the agreement and I greatly hope that you will see your way to approve, as an exceptional measure, the inclusion of the lease-lend items in our agreement with the Czechs.
May I ask you to be good enough to let me have a very early reply?
Yours sincerely,