842.20 Defense/2–1747
The Canadian Minister in the United States (Stone) to the Deputy Director of the Office of European Affairs (Hickerson)1
My Dear Mr. Hickerson: As you know, the matter of standardization of military equipment as between the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada has been a cause of some concern because of the unauthorized reports and stories which have appeared in the press in recent months. Statements on this subject have had to be made by your Under-Secretary of State as well as in the United Kingdom House of Commons.
Except for the short paragraph included in our joint release2 the other day, no specific statement on standardization has been made in Canada. The matter has, however, been considered by the Cabinet Defence Committee and in case it should prove necessary or advisable for the Canadian authorities to make some statement on the subject, a draft has been prepared which is, as you will see, in very general terms only. It is not intended that this draft would be used unless, as is not unlikely, the Government is questioned closely on the subject during discussions of defence questions in the House of Commons. It was thought wise, however, to have an agreed statement ready, and the Cabinet Defence Committee wished to have the text communicated to [Page 107] the United States and United Kingdom authorities in advance. I am, therefore, instructed to pass on to you the enclosed text3 and to let the authorities in Ottawa know as soon as possible whether you have any observations to offer.
Yours sincerely,
- A marginal notation on this document indicates that copies of this letter and its enclosure were forwarded for comment on February 19 to General Lincoln (presumably Brigadier General George A. Lincoln, General Staff, War Department) and to Vice Admiral Forrest P. Sherman, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations.↩
- Department of State press release, February 12, p. 104.↩
- Not printed. For revised draft, altered after Hickerson transmitted to Stone the first comment from the War and Navy Departments, see infra.↩