840.48/4527⅘: Telegram

The Chargé in the United Kingdom ( Johnson ) to the Secretary of State

4220. Department’s 3832, December 17, 8 p.m. The substance of this telegram has been communicated to Leith-Ross (who expressed much appreciation) and incidentally was subsequently confirmed by cable from Chalkley.

For Department’s information, Leith-Ross has instructed Cairns (who is shortly to become Leith-Ross’ assistant) to be completely [Page 142] frank with Steere95 on the surplus question and to show him Ministry’s surplus file which accordingly has been read. From this, certain things seem clear (1) that there has been mutual misunderstanding of the use being made of the term “ad hoc” and (2) that British Embassy officials in Washington have been under some misapprehensions about surplus questions and lack background on previous approaches to these problems. The British here understand ad hoc measures as special measures of a definitely restricted character i. e. pertaining to a local problem or problem of a particular country. They consider international schemes even for single commodities as outside the meaning of the term. They had therefore understood Department’s references to ad hoc measures (which British Embassy did not clarify or explain and apparently understood in the British sense) to refer to some of the individual arrangements (credit, etc.) recently made between the United States and certain Latin American countries.

The Department appears to use the term ad hoc in a less restricted sense i. e. as extending to individual commodity schemes even of an international character such for example as a sugar or wheat agreement. If so the views of the two Governments regarding an approach to surplus problems are not so far apart.

From his perusal of the file above referred to which included a Cabinet document on the subject Steere has the definite impression that the British while naturally motivated by self interest in broaching the surplus problem are none the less taking a broad view of it, are aware of the necessity of British and Empire contributions if progress is achieved and are cognizant of the necessity of meeting the United States halfway; it also appears they feel the necessity lacking American collaboration of proceeding with certain ad hoc measures of their own but will have to confine them to Empire and Allied countries if a broader basis of cooperation cannot be worked out with the United States.

As regards wheat there is a bare possibility that British might press Canadians to take initiative or themselves take it if they thought it would start ball rolling. This is only a possibility not a probability.

Johnson
  1. Loyd V. Steere, Agricultural Attaché in the United Kingdom.