File No. 300.115/10931
The Ambassador in Great Britain (Page) to the Secretary of State
[Received 6.45 p. m.]
5290. Your 4117, December 2, 3 p. m., would seem to show Department still wishes to use Stabler-Cadogan agreement as factor in negotiations. As I am convinced Foreign Office is sincere in its belief that no such agreement existed, I respectfully suggest that Department’s acceptance of the Foreign Office explanation can not be used as a means of inducing facilities for shipment.
Put in another way, the mistake which the Foreign Office alleges was made by an American official can not as of right be used with effect to induce the Foreign Office to grant concessions which a conditional [Page 543] non-recognition of the Stabler-Cadogan plan would seem to imply.
In view of the Department’s statements to shippers based on what the Foreign Office consider as Stabler’s misunderstanding, it may be possible for the Foreign Office to reach a favorable decision on the Michigan Sugar Company and DeRekowski consignments, and I am pressing matter on these lines, but to use the Stabler-Cadogan agreement will add a difficult complication.