460.509/7–3151: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Gifford) to the Secretary of State
638. Excon. For Linder. In view of the consultative group meeting in Paris tomorrow to consider our proposals for strengthening security [Page 1164] controls on exports to the Soviet bloc, I saw Morrison1 and expressed to him the hope that the Brit Govt would do everything possible to reduce to the minimum the remaining area of disagreement between US on the controls. I hoped that they would be able to add as many as possible to the 20 items which we had proposed for list I and to which they had not yet agreed. I pointed out the importance of the Brit position since other Western European countries tend to follow their lead. Morrison emphasized again their need for maintaining some trade with the East in order to live, mentioning particularly possible short supplies of meat and the need for grain for feedstuffs, but agreed to do what he could.
Sent Dept 638, repeated info Paris 235.
- Herbert Morrison, British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.↩