Office of the Historian

394.31/3–2651: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Embassy in the United Kingdom1

secret
niact
Washington, March 26, 1951—10 p. m.

4372. USTAC.

1. Dept concurs in text of note Deltel 604, sent London 239. Following changes suggested.

2. Second para, second sentence: delete “substantial and significant” and add at conclusion of sentence: “of equal value and significance”.

3. Third para, second sentence: delete “efforts” and substitute “contribution”.

4. Fourth para, third sentence: delete in entirety and substitute following: “In reply it was pointed out by the US reps that, although the US recognized that the concessions which it offered at Torquay would in fact be uncompensated for the time being, inasmuch as the UK concessions to the US would continue to be substantially inoperative [Page 1301] as a result of quantitative import restrictions, nevertheless the Govt of the US could not commit itself to negotiate an agreement at Torquay other than on a mutually advantageous and satisfactory basis”.

Recognize this suggested revision may not be sufficiently close paraphrase of reply made by US reps, but believe we should avoid flat restatement regarding “unilateral” nature of US concessions.

5. Ninth para, third sentence: omit entirely “and which wld in fact be indefensible in both our countries” as being non sequitur.2

Acheson
  1. Repeated to the U.S. Delegation at Torquay as niact telegram 514.↩
  2. On March 26 the Embassy delivered to the Foreign Office a first person note which incorporated the revisions indicated herein.↩