Office of the Historian

279. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in the United Kingdom1

Washington, July 2, 1962, 5:49 p.m.

10. Eyes only for Ambassador Bruce. Request you reply to portion of Macmillan’s letter to President of May 302 dealing with consultations on [Page 574] colonialism. At your discretion you may pass our views as given below to either Macmillan or Lord Home indicating they have approval of President:

1.
We are happy to see from Macmillan’s letter of May 30 to President that US and UK agree on desirability closest liaison on colonial problems. Generally speaking there are two somewhat overlapping aspects involved—detailed consideration of individual problems and exchange of views on broad policy issues. It might be helpful if you were to feed into your Washington Embassy fuller detailed information on individual problems. We would also welcome as much advance indication as feasible of the trend of your thinking on overall developments. We of course are glad to share our ideas with you. By this approach we could avoid misunderstandings arising from different assessments of factual situation and would be fully aware of each other’s policy thinking and the reasons therefor even though we might be obliged to agree to disagree in specific instances.
2.
On reflection we believe further formalization of methods of consultation is unnecessary. We are already in constant touch through our Embassies in London and Washington and US and UK Delegations to the UN. These consultations are supplemented periodically by high-level exchanges on broad policy issues. Governor Williams will be in London this month for general discussion of colonial policy and Mr. Cleveland for talks on UN aspects. This combination of day to day consultation supplemented by periodic high-level exchanges seems to us to offer most effective utilization of expert knowledge and senior policy level consideration. We would welcome, of course, your further views and any further suggestions you care to make.
3.
Essential point in our opinion is that all concerned should know that President and Prime Minister firmly believe in value of close and continuing consultation.

Rusk
  1. Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, British Guiana II. Confidential. Drafted by Burdett; cleared by Sweeney (BNA), Cleveland(IO), Tasca (AF), Furnas (S/S), and McGeorge Bundy; and approved by U. Alexis Johnson. Repeated to USUN eyes only for Stevenson.↩
  2. See Document 276.↩