741.13/4–1553
No. 1146
The Under Secretary of State
(Smith)
to Prime Minister Churchill
My Dear Mr. Prime Minister: It was very much like old times to receive your personal message transmitted to me by Roger Makins. I have been laid up myself for a couple of days which accounts for my delay in answering.
The latest news from Egypt seems promising, at least of a start, and as you know our feeling has been that if we can just get these talks under way there is a reasonable chance for success. I have told Roger Makins, and I can assure you, that there is no intention here of nibbling at you on substance. We disagreed with you on initial tactics, but whether or not we were right or wrong only time can tell. The main thing now is to get started. We ourselves have a Canal problem as you are well aware, and while there are certain basic differences in status, we, like you, are very sensitive to the strategical impact of control.
I look forward with selfish pleasure to having an early look at parts of your final volume. You must know, I am sure, that the President would have been perfectly willing to defer to your own keen sense of international relations, and I am afraid it is partly due to the fact that I so enjoy reading what you write that I offered to “look. at the excerpts. You shall have them back with great promptness.
Faithfully,