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, MinuUs.
I saw Colonel Knox this afternoon
at his request.    He asked me how the
position stood as regards Newfoundland and
the draft letter.   I told him that London
and the Governor had both approved it
subject to small textual alterations and
I gave him a copy of our draft showing
the amendments.   He read it and said that
it looked to him all right.    I suggested
that Mr. Poster should fix it up with his
legal adviser and he concurred.
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LU
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I mentioned that His Majesty's
Government took the view that this letter
d not be takeiL-&_s a precedent on which
work could be started^  i.e. jve;$ould not
^rft^TU use a letter couched in tl& ofeniffierms
to inaugurate work at the other bases} u^'fi^^
I had no reason to think that the Foreign
Office were at all opposed to similar
brief letters as regards the other bases «
»**4 it was merely the fact that conditions
varied locally that prevented thtsclottoy
being standardised.   Colonel Knox took the
point.
h
/fa**
NMB:DH
an.
--- I referred too to the Ambassador
having thrown out^the personal suggestion
as regards an umpire in the case of
disputes arising locally.   I said that
London wished to withdraw this suggestion;
His Majesty's Government's view was that
most things could and should be settled
by the good sense of the men on the spot;
if any dispute got beyond this, it would
probably be sufficiently serious to
require referring to Washington and
London.   Colonel Knox concurred.
I told the Colonel that^all the
Colonial Governments had now agreed to
work being begun by the American
authorities once agreement had been
reached regarding the location of the
"Biases;^ I was not quite certain as to
Berr..uda, but Colonel Knox assured me
that Admiral Greenslade had told him
that agreement had been reached there.
As regards Bermuda I reminded the Secretary
that His Majesty's Government meant to issue
some statement and that we had asked the
Navy Department not to forestall this.
I reminded him also that we had
asked that the American authorities should
^ employ local labour, and give British
\ /and Dominion firms of contractors
opportunity to tender in connexion with the
construction of the bases.   Colonel Knox
said that this was agreeable to the
United States Government: American
contractors/
Minutes,
contractors had their hands full with
work at home.
I*
I did not put to Colonel Knox
the point in sub-paragraph (e) of
Mr. Hoyer Millar's minute. Perhaps
Mr. Poster would take this up when he
sees the Navy Department legal adviser
about the draft letter.   Colonel Knox
had no complaints and seemed well
satisfied, ^ /tfuv^   /*cC«~V*C  <jv««—f*Jt.
(**t    u-**^t~£    vr-j*>v£   h*'c0-^ f&
*    ft'(U:ff^JV». October 30th, 1940