859.01/171: Telegram
The Chargé in the United Kingdom (Bucknell) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 25—12:30 p.m.]
4202. Reference Department’s 4100, May 23, midnight. Warner of the Foreign Office told us this morning that an urgent telegram had been sent last night to the British Embassy in Moscow instructing it to approach the Soviets again along the lines outlined in our 4179, May 24, 7 p.m. The Foreign Office’s telegram was repeated to the British Embassy in Washington and Moscow was instructed to hold up any action for 24 hours while the State Department was being consulted. The British Embassy in Washington was instructed to cable Moscow direct, should the State Department interpose any objection to the British proposals, repeating the message to London. Warner is sending off a second urgent telegram to the British Embassy in Washington (for transmission to the Department) giving more in detail his reasons for believing that the declaration should be made and that the Soviets should be urged to participate.
Warner said that while he understood the Department’s reluctance to issue the declaration now as given in Department’s 4100, May 23, he nevertheless felt that there was good reason for going ahead and that in fact the leakage made it more desirable to do so rather than otherwise. Up to 11 o’clock this morning there had been no press inquiries at the Foreign Office based on the CBS broadcast. The Foreign Office is, therefore, hopeful that no undue publicity will be given it.