800.51W89 Great Britain/521
The Secretary of State to the British Ambassador (Lindsay)
Excellency: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of Your Excellency’s communication, dated November 6, 1933, dealing with the question of the indebtedness of the British Government to the United States.
The American Government shares the disappointment of His Britannic Majesty’s Government that the recent conversations did not result in a concurrence of views and thus made an adjournment advisable [Page 845] pending a further clarification of several factors, including the present unsettled economic and financial situations.
Due note has been taken of the intention of His Britannic Majesty’s Government to make a further payment on December 15 next, as on June 15 last, in acknowledgement of the debt pending a final settlement, in the sum of seven and one-half million dollars, American currency. The American Government has also noted the disposition of the British Government to resume negotiations on the general question at a later date.
In this general connection, I venture to recall the comments contained in Mr. Phillips’ note of June 14, 1933, to you, respecting the limitations upon the President’s power in the matter of debts owed to the United States.
Accept [etc.]