Office of the Historian

700.5611/12–751

The British Minister (Steel) to the Deputy Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (Matthews)

Washington, December 7, 1951.

Dear Doc: Tim Marten telephoned to your secretary today and left with her the text of a Parliamentary question and answer given in the House of Commons yesterday (6th December) about the use of the bases in the United Kingdom by U.S. atom bombers.

2. The following is the text of the question asked by Mr. Sydney Silverman (Labour):—

  • “Whether the agreement under which United States atom bomb forces are permitted to use bases in this country contains the usual provision for their withdrawal in the case that the United States of America became involved in any war in which the United Kingdom did not wish to be involved”.

3. The Prime Minister replied as follows:—

  • “The use of these bases in an emergency would be a matter for joint decision by His Majesty’s Government and the United States Government in the light of the circumstances prevailing at the time”.

As you see this exactly reproduces the last sentence of our agreed text.1

Yours ever,

Kit
  1. This last paragraph is handwritten by Steel. The text under reference is not printed, but see the memorandum by Arneson, p. 893.↩