Hopkins Papers
The Secretary of the British Chiefs of Staff (Hollis) to the President’s Special Assistant (Hopkins)
Dear Mr. Hopkins: At a meeting this morning between the Prime Minister and the British Chiefs of Staff, during which the President [Page 305] came in for a few minutes, Mr. Churchill mentioned that the Dutch Government in London want to amend Annex 2 to General Wavell’s Directive which deals with the machinery for obtaining decisions on points which General Wavell may refer to higher authority.1
2. The Dutch want to be taken into consultation in Washington as well as in London,2 and you will remember that the arrangement was for the British Government to bring into consultation the Dutch and Dominion Governments in London and the final decision would be issued from Washington after American-British discussions only. Any other system would cause chaos and indefinite delay.
3. At the Prime Minister’s suggestion the President agreed that I should draft a reply to London explaining why we could not accept the Dutch proposal, but mentioning that of course it would be open to the ABDA machine in Washington to call in the Dutch Authorities if their advice was required on any particular point.
4. I attach a draft telegram to London which the Prime Minister says I am to send them subject to the President’s approval. If the President approves, I should indicate in the telegram that he has done so.
5. I attach a copy of the telegram from London (Flag ‘A’)3 as well as a copy of Annex 2 to General Wavell’s Directive (Flag ‘B’).1
Yours sincerely,
- This is the document entitled “Higher Direction of War in the ABDA Area”, dated December 30, 1941, ante, p. 288.↩
- The amendments proposed by the Netherlands Government are attached to the letter of January 5 from Welles to Roosevelt, post, p. 308.↩
- Not found.↩
- This is the document entitled “Higher Direction of War in the ABDA Area”, dated December 30, 1941, ante, p. 288.↩
- Not found.↩