460.509/4–2254: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Aldrich) to the Department of State1
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4663. Excon. Coulson asked Embassy officers call on him this evening order express serious concern of HMG at what they considered be important change of position by US from what had been agreed at trilateral talks with Governor Stassen. Coulson said he was instructed by Ministers to state that they had firmly understood that it was agreed by US that items agreed for deletion from embargo list should be released as agreed category by category. [Page 1149] This was, in their view, purpose of reviewing list in accord with agreed priority of categories and this understanding was important reason for British agreement to defer presenting their list COCOM and to go through with advance trilateral review category by category. On basis this understanding they also made statement in Parliament which indicated that this progressive release of items would take place.
They feel unreasonable and impracticable to continue for a further month to refuse exports licenses on orders in hand for items which all agree should no longer be embargoed and urge strongly that US reconsider its present position this point and return to what British had understood was our agreement on trilateral talks.
Embassy officers promised convey this message urgently to Governor Stassen, but made no comment on British understanding of agreement reached in trilateral talks since recollections of Embassy officers present is that proposal for progressive release was put forward by US as important inducement to British to refrain from presenting their list to COCOM.2
- Repeated to Paris.↩
- In telegram 5616 to London, Apr. 23, 1954, the Department confirmed that the British interpretation of the review procedure was also Governor Stassen’s interpretation, and instructed the Embassy to assure the British Government that the United States would abide by its earlier agreement. (460.509/4–2254)↩