840.70/11–144: Telegram
The Chargé in the United Kingdom (Gallman) to the Secretary of State
[Received November 1—5:05 p.m.]
9448. ReEmbs 9434.68 Ronald has informed the Embassy by letter of the substance of the Foreign Office’s communications to Halifax68a about the Soviet withdrawal from the EITO Conference. To us here, the tenor of the proposed note to the Soviets questioning the validity of their withdrawal seems too sharp. In particular, the reference to the fact that “given good will on the part of all concerned” agreement might be reached, and the statement that the grounds of withdrawal are “both insufficient and irrelevant” seem to us to be unnecessarily strong and to reduce the possibility of effective collaboration with the Soviets in this field when and if the Polish issue is satisfactorily settled. It might, for example, be considered desirable to carry on the Interim Commission inviting the Soviets to participate fully now or at such later date as they find possible and in the meantime to send an observer; and something similar might be considered with reference to the Conference itself. The tone of the proposed British note seems to us to preclude such possibilities. Without questioning the substance of the position proposed by the British we do question whether anything is to be gained by a tone indicative of resentment.