611.4131/399: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Bingham)
430. Your 671, October 27, 5 p.m. We received this morning from Chalkley the following message which he had been instructed by telegraph to deliver to us from the British Government:
[Page 76][Here follows text of telegram quoted in note of October 29, from the British Commercial Counselor, printed supra.]
As regards Brown’s comments reported in your telegram we wish to emphasize the fact that the Canadians approached us in regard to informal and confidential conversations at the suggestion of the British Government and the British representatives were repeatedly urging upon us the desirability of receiving and talking to the Canadians. We had no advance information as to the nature and scope of the Canadian proposals and we restricted ourselves to listening to what the Canadians had to say and promising to look into the more important specific products mentioned by them at the earliest possible moment and to giving the Canadians as soon as possible our comments on them. We did not hold out any particular hope to the Canadians of the likelihood of our being able to deal comprehensively with these products.
As regards the United Kingdom we plan to take no further action pending the receipt of the proposals referred to in the message which we have just received.
It is not our thought that you should take any particular action in pursuance of the present telegram which is sent primarily for the purpose of keeping you informed of what is happening. You are however authorized to make use of this information in any further talks which you may have with Brown or other British officials.