611.4131/333
The Secretary of State to the President of the British Board of Trade (Stanley)61
My Dear Mr. Stanley: The cordiality of your note and the identity of objective which it denotes, give hope that we are beginning a relationship [Page 43] which cannot fail to bring to realization our common objective. My appreciation of your message is the deeper because this objective seems to me so vital to the welfare of our two countries and to the general aspect of the whole world.
When you have had time to examine thoroughly into the question, I believe you will find that the tentative outlines of a possible agreement between our countries offers to both a very substantial opportunity for a solid enlargement of their trade along lines of mutual economic benefit. The example of cooperation in trade expansion as well as the opportunity to share fully in the benefits of such an Anglo-American commercial agreement would also be powerful inducements for other countries to resist trade arrangements of a type less helpful and less hopeful for the world.
It is upon my confidence in the results, especially as bearing upon the matter of maintaining peace, that this agreement will promote, that I shall rely for argument and persuasion successfully to overcome in the future, as I have so far done, such opposition and criticism as may present themselves. I realize that similar difficulties may beset you, and I am glad to know the spirit in which you plan to deal with them.
These difficulties will suggest delay. I shall do everything in my power to overcome such delay for, when so much is happening day by day that tends to fit the world’s economic relations in firm molds of national struggle, all delay would involve risk and may create new obstacles. Our critics must be forced, I feel, to face their responsibility for blocking action which may indicate the method by which the world can improve its condition on peaceful terms.
I shall give full and careful attention to the explanation of your program and position that you have offered to send in the near future.
Sincerely yours,
- Transmitted as an enclosure to a note of June 30, to the British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.↩