762A.00/10–1253: Telegram
No. 277
The United States High
Commissioner for Germany (Conant) to the Department of State
1360. Eyes only for the Secretary. I am convinced from adequate evidence that Chancellor obtained full text of proposed reply to Soviets [Page 654] from British sources, including proposed timetable, which disturbed him almost as much as content of note.1 May I suggest that our relations with Chancellor would be much better if we could bring him into consultations earlier for he emphasized in conversation his belief that he would be presented with a text which he disapproved of, already agreed to by Eden, Churchill and yourself. My knowledge of source of Chancellor’s information came from an inadvertence on his part. To protect him and his British source, I am sure you will agree this information should be held closely but I thought you should know what is going on in British Foreign Office. I am further convinced that source of leak hoped to stimulate Chancellor’s objections.
- Conant is referring to the discussion reported in telegram 1361, supra.↩