841.244/12–544: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant)
10178. Please deliver the following message:
“The Right Honorable
Winston Churchill, M. P.
Prime
Minister, London.
I am deeply grateful for your message (No. 832 November 26, 1944) informing me of your decision to continue purchases on a month to month basis for a further 6 months’ period. We will do everything in our power to satisfy your understanding with respect to other buyers as well as with respect to refrigerated cargo space to which you refer in paragraph 4.
I am sorry about the apparent misunderstanding mentioned in the last paragraph of your message, and concerning which I, of course, had no prior information. I believe, however, that you will discover, as I did on further investigation, that the document quoted in your 83322 did not refer to the matter of the meat contract, on which we exchanged messages in October, but to the general programming of your other imports from and exports to Argentina about which the Department of State submitted inquiries to the Foreign Office in August and September. This message was intended to be an inquiry on a matter of common interest and, of course, in no sense a threat.
I am confident, however, that this matter can readily be adjusted and I want again to thank you for your helpful message.
Franklin D. Roosevelt”