867N.01/6–1146: Telegram

The British Prime Minister (Attlee) to President Truman 66

top secret

Top Secret and Personal. Thank you for your telegram.67 I am very glad to hear that you will be able to send a group of officials to discuss the problem with our officials here.

2.
You will, of course, understand that His Majesty’s Government will not feel able to determine their policy on any one of the Committee’s recommendations until they have examined the results of the [Page 624] official consultations on the Report as a whole. As regards the admission of 100,000 immigrants for example, it is necessary to consider not only the physical problems involved but also the political reactions and possible military consequences. These in turn may be found to depend to some extent on the conclusions reached in respect of the Committee’s other recommendations.
3.
In the circumstances we consider that it is preferable that the discussions should begin with the full groups on both sides and doubt whether any useful purpose would be served by the sending of an advance party.
  1. Copy transmitted to the Department by the British Embassy on June 11. The substance of the message had been furnished to the Department the previous day, however; see footnote 68, p. 624.
  2. Of June 5, p. 617.